Lactose hydrolysis approach: Isolation and production of β-galactosidase from newly isolated Bacillus strain B-2

β-galactosidases are hydrolytic enzymes that are involved in catalytic process of lactose found in milk and make it as an outstanding industrial product for lactose intolerant population. These enzymes also regulate the transgalactosylation reactions in order to synthesize galactooligosaccharides. Considering their tremendous applications in different industries, various bacterial strains were isolated and screened for β-galactosidase production. The maximum enzyme producing strain was identified as Bacillus strain B-2 on the basis of morphological and biochemical characteristics. After selecting the appropriate growth medium, different fermentation parameters were optimized using submerged fermentation approach. It was observed that isolated bacterial strain produced maximum β-galactosidase with 1% lactose as a substrate after 48 h of incubation time. The current findings indicate that β-galactosidase from Bacillus strain B-2 can be a valuable candidate for different industrial applications.