The effects of temperature, pH and metal ions on
alpha amylase activity of the brine shrimp
Artemia salina
1,2
Augusto E. Serrano, Jr., 3Ernestina M. Peralta
1
Institute of Aquaculture, College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, University of the
Philippines Visayas, Miagao, Iloilo, Philippines 2 National Institute of Molecular Biology and
Biotechnology, University of the Philippines Visayas, Miagao, Iloilo, Philippines; 3Institute
of Fish Processing Technology, College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, University of the
Philippines Visayas, Miagao, Iloilo, Philippines. Corresponding author: A. E. Serrano Jr.,
[Link]@[Link]
Abstract. Nauplii of brine shrimp that hatched within 24 h were collected, homogenized, centrifuged and
the supernatant was used as the crude enzyme preparation. In the reaction mixture for the amylase
assay, various volumes of the enzyme preparation and the effect of reaction time on the initial velocity of
amylase were determined. Also, the effects of pH and temperature on amylase activity and stability were
investigated. Several metal ions were added to the amylase reaction to determine if they inhibited or
enhanced the brine shrimp amylase activitiy. Results showed that homogenization with 20 times the
buffer (w/v) was enough to produce linear relationship of the volume of the enzyme preparation and
progress time with the initial activity of amylase. Maximal (and also optimal) temperature and pH were
determined to be 40oC and pH 7.5, respectively. Thermal and pH stabilities ranged from 0oC to about
50oC and pH 6.0-7.5, respectively. The Michaelis-Menten constant (Km) for starch of the Artemia nauplii
amylase was estimated using Lineweaver-Burk plot to be 0.11 μM maltose mg protein -1 (equivalent to
1.98 mg mL-1 glucose). Conclusion: The initial activity of the brine shrimp amylase could be measured
using the enzyme volume and reaction time covered by the linear curves. Artemia amylase activity was
optimal at 40oC and pH 7.5; it demonstrated high thermal and wide pH stability. Ca 2+, Fe2+, Li+, Mn2+,
Mg2+, Na+ and Zn2+ inhibited amylase of the Artemia nauplii, retaining only 20% or less of the maximal
activity. By the Km value, the physiological concentration of complex carbohydrates in the newly hatched
Artemia nauplii was near the value equivalent to 0.11 μM maltose mg protein -1.
Key Words: nauplii, thermal stability, pH stability, metal salts, amylase Km and Vmax.
Introduction. Knowledge of feeding strategies and adaptive digestive capacities of larval
aquatic organisms under different food conditions and their effects on growth is of prime
importance in aquaculture. Digestive enzyme activities of live prey and the mechanisms
controlling them are thus deemed important in maximizing their enzymatic contribution
to the larval absorption efficiencies for their corresponding substrates (Bayne 1976;
Samain et al 1991; Ibarrola et al 1998, 2000), and this appears to be one of the principal
factors explaining in situ growth variability (Huvet et al 2008).
α-Amylase (α-1,4 glucan-4-glucanohydrolase) is a key enzyme for carbohydrate
digestion and is a limiting factor in absorption efficiency in bivalves (Moal et al 2000;
Sellos et al 2003). In general, α-amylase can represent individual energy status, as
observed in Drosophila when starch is the only carbohydrate source in the substrate
(Powell & Andjelkovic 1983). α-Amylase catalyses the hydrolysis of internal (α-1,4)
glucoside bonds in starch or related poly- and oligosaccharides. External factors affect
the regulation processes of digestive enzymes such as the amylase in crustaceans
(Guarna & Borowsky 1995; Le Moullac et al 1997). In Artemia salina, adaptation of
amylase enzyme varies according to particular starch concentration in the diet (Samain
et al 1980). This observation could probably extend to the existing high carbohydrate
content of the brine shrimp right after hatching.
Brine shrimp (Artemia salina) has been a very convenient live food in the hatchery
for a long time contributing its own digestive enzymes to aquatic larvae such as that of
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the mud crab Scylla serrata (Serrano 2013). Artemia nauplii contains 39% crude protein,
9.6% crude lipid, 24.4% ash and 6.4% glycogen (Ma et al 2001). In fish larvae, amylases
are stimulated by glycolytic chains, glycogen, and starch (Peres et al 1998). A compiled
proximate analysis data from 26 references revealed that the average values were 52.2%
protein, 18.9% lipid, 14.8 carbohydrate and 9.7% ash (Leger et al 1987). The newly
hatched instar I nauplii of Artemia contains 39% more energy and 34% less dry weight
than older unfed instar stages (Vanhaecke et al 1983 from Leger et al 1987). The activity
of amylase together with other digestive enzymes is high during larval development of
Artemia sinica (Guangyu & Cheng 2002). Studies on the partial characterization of
amylase from Artemia are rather scant and this information is important in the nutrition
of larvae of aquatic organisms that are raised in the hatchery. Artemia nauplii contain
considerably high carbohydrates at this stage. It is possible that the existing
carbohydrates activate the activity of amylase in the nauplii that form an external source
of the enzyme in the larvae of aquatic organisms. The ability of the dry dormant embryo
of Artemia to survive for decades has been related to the presence in the cyst of high
concentration of trehalose (Busa et al 1982). After resumption of development trehalose
is used as the bulk source of energy and the bulk substrate of respiration (Clegg & Conte
1980). The aim of the present study is to characterize amylase in the newly hatched
nauplii that could optimize its assays in the laboratory and may form a basis for
successful larval culture in the hatchery.
Material and Method
Preparation of the tissue homogenate for enzyme assay. Nauplii of brine shrimp
that hatched within 24 h were used in the assays. At this early stage of development, it
has been demonstrated that the time of sampling does not matter since activity peaks of
amylase occur from 1st to 10 days after hatching (Samain et al 1980). The same
researchers have observed that these peaks are independent from diurnal and individual
variations of amylase activity in Artemia.
About 100 Artemia nauplii were homogenized in 20 volumes of cold extraction
solution (50 mM citrate phosphate buffer pH 7.0) at 1:20 ratio (wet tissue weight to
volume) in an Ultra Turrax homogenizer. The homogenates were centrifuged at 4000 rpm
for 15 min at 4oC and the supernatant was used as enzyme preparation. Total soluble
protein was measured following the procedure of Lowry et al (1951) with bovine serum
albumin as standard. All enzyme assays were conducted within 4 h of homogenization
and all samples for a single enzymatic assay were run in the same day. Blank controls, in
which the reaction did not take place, were included in the routine assay.
Enzyme assays. All assays were carried out at 25 oC and values were taken as means of
triplicate estimations ± the standard error of the mean (SEM). Each assay was conducted
along with appropriate controls including non-enzymatic hydrolysis. α-Amylase activity
was assayed as described by Bernfield (1955) implying that the increase in reducing
power of a buffered starch solution was measured with 3,5 dinitrosalicylic acid (DNS) at
546 nm. The assay mixture consisted of 0.1 mL soluble starch solution, 0.5 mL of the
enzyme preparation and 0.5 mL salt solution (homogenizing solution). The reaction was
stopped by adding DNS solution and the mixture was heated for 5 min in boiling water,
cooled in running tap water and the optical density read at 546 nm. Amylase activity was
expressed in terms of μg maltose liberated from starch.
Reaction time and enzyme concentration. Progress curves were obtained from 0 to
60 min, and it was also found that the activity vs enzyme concentration curve was linear
from 0.1 to 0.5 mL of the enzyme preparation.
Optimum pH and pH stability. The effect of pH on enzyme activity was determined in
50 mM citrate phosphate buffer (pH 5.9-8.0) at 25 °C. Enzyme pH stability was
determined by incubating the enzyme preparation at different pH (pH 5.9 to 8.5) for 1 h
at 0-4 °C, after which enzyme assays were performed.
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Optimum temperature and thermal stability. The optimum temperature of the
reaction was determined by conducting assays at different temperatures ranging from 25
to 40 °C. Thermal stability of the enzyme was determined by incubating the enzyme
preparation at different temperatures ranging from 0-55 °C for 1 h, after which assay of
the trypsin-like enzyme was done.
Estimation of Michaelis-Menten constant. The effect of substrate concentration on
the brine shrimp amylase activity was investigated at a concentration range of 2.5x10 -4 to
40x10-4 μmol min-1, keeping the other components of the reaction mixture constant. The
results were plotted by the double reciprocal plots (Lineweaver-Burk plots) to obtain the
Michaelis-Menten constant (Km) of trypsin for its substrate.
Results. Amylase activity of Artemia nauplii exhibited linearity with enzyme
concentration up to 0.5 mL (Figure 1). The linear part of the progress curves with time
was until 40 min (Figure 2).
Figure 1. The effect of the volume of the enzyme preparation on amylase activity of the
brine shrimp Artemia.
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Figure 2. Progress curve of the activity of amylase from brine shrimp Artemia.
Amylase of Artemia nauplii showed slight activity changes with varying pH levels,
exhibiting almost 80% or higher of the maximal activity even until pH 8.0. The optimum
reaction pH was at pH 7.5 (Figure 3).
Figure 3. The effect of pH on amylase activity of the brine shrimp Artemia.
A nonlinear but proportional increase of amylase activity with temperature was observed
in the brine shrimp amylase; optimal activity was observed at 40 oC (Figure 4).
Figure 4. The effect of temperature (oC) on the amylase activity of brine shrimp Artemia.
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The brine shrimp amylase showed slight activity changes when pH stability was
investigated (Figure 5). It exhibited maximal values between pH 6.7-7.0. The enzyme was
very thermostable even at 50oC, retaining 100 % of the initial activity (Figure 6).
Figure 5. pH stability of amylase from Artemia.
Figure 6. Thermal stability of amylase from the brine shrimp Artemia.
Most of the metals tested, namely Ca, Fe, Li, Mn, Na and Zn, markedly inhibited the brine
shrimp amylase activity with less than 20% of the maximal activity (Table 1).
Table 1
The effects of metal ions on amylase activity in the brine shrimp
Metal ions % of maximum activity
No metal ions 100.00
CaCl2 9.38
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FeCl3 9.59
LiCl2 13.86
MnCl2 7.25
MgSO4 10.23
NaCl 18.05
ZnCL2 10.02
The determined Km for starch of the Artemia nauplii amylase was estimated to be 0.11
μM maltose mg protein-1 (Figure 7).
Figure 7. Lineweaver-Burk plot of the effect of substrate concentration on the initial
velocity of the enzyme amylase from the brine shrimp Artemia.
[S] = substrate concentration in Molarity and v= initial velocity of the amylase in μM
maltose mg protein-1.
Discussion. The present study demonstrated in detail the procedural aspect of the
enzyme preparation from the newly hatched Artemia nauplii. It was observed that the
ideal dilution of the whole body tissue of the brine shrimp produced an almost ideal 45-
degree angle of both the time of the reaction as well as the volume of the enzyme
preparation against enzyme activity. This curve slope was ideal in the stopped-flow
method of amylase assay specific to the whole brine shrimp. Also, the two curves were
deemed important in every enzyme assay since they establish the condition for the
measurement of activity, which should be based solely on initial velocity as a requirement
of any enzyme kinetic measurement.
The enzyme exhibited very high activity in all the reaction pH tested , retaining
almost 80% or higher of the maximum activity from pH 6-8; the optimal pH was observed
at pH 7.5. The present study indicated that this enzyme preferred slightly alkaline pH for
optimal activity which is in agreement with that reported for the amylase of the Antarctic
krill Euphasia superba, which exhibited optimal activity at pH 7.2 (Van Wormhoudt et al.
1983). In contrast, the optimal pH observed for the calanoid copepod Heliodiaptomus
viduus (Dutta et al 2006) and the optimal pH of a mixture of zooplankton and copepods
were pH 6.0 (Mayzaud & Conover 1976; Mayzaud & Mayzaud 1981). Similarly, the Acartia
clausi (a crustacean copepod) amylase exhibited optimum pH at 6.4 (Mayzaud 1985);
while other copepod amylases exhibited optimal pH at 6.8 (Boucher & Samain 1974).
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The narrow range of temperature in the present study resulted in more than 50%
of the maximal activity between 25oC to 40oC; the activity exhibited continuous increase,
albeit nonlinearly up to 40oC. This optimal temperature was in agreement with those
observed in Acartia clausi at 40oC, retaining more than 50% of the activity between 30
and 50oC; the optimal activity was observed at 40 oC (Mayzaud 1985). Those optimal
temperatures reported for the activity of carbohydrase (endoglucanase) activity in
rotifers in which more than 50% of the maximal activity was reported to be between 5
and 55oC, the optimal activity of which was at 37 oC (Chang et al 1997). This is in contrast
with those observed in Heliodiaptomus viduus with optimal activity observed at 30 oC
(Dutta et al 2006). The non-linear increase in the activity of amylase with temperature
was an implied demonstration of adaptation to elevated temperature at the catalytic
enzyme level without increasing the number of enzyme molecules (the volume of enzyme
added was uniform in all reaction mixtures). This is presumed to be the interference of
temperature on the enzyme-substrate (E-S) complex formation (Hochaka & Somero 1973)
as a way of increasing the efficiency of enzymatic reaction. Prolonged exposure at the
temperature of 40oC, the temperature of maximal amylase activity in the present study,
could inactivate the enzyme. This in vitro value did not necessarily define the natural
physiological range of the brine shrimp and thus could be an artifact of the in vitro
experiment (Traifalgar et al 1999).
Data on pH and thermal stability provides procedural techniques in the handling,
preparation and temporary storage of the enzyme preparation. The stability of the crude
preparation of the brine shrimp amylase (0-50 oC and pH 6.0-7.5) was similar to that
observed in the rotifer Brachionus rotundiformis (Traifalgar et al 1999).
In almost all enzymes, the presence of metallic cofactors like Ba2 +, Ca2+, Co2+, K+,
Ni2+, Mn2+, Li+, Cu2+, Mg2+, and Pb2+ is critical because they regulate enzyme activity. Their
presence along with the food can increase or decrease amylase activity and thus the rate
of digestion of carbohydrates, specifically starch. Examining the effects of metal ions may
provide an indication of which amino acid residue can be found in the active or allosteric
site of the enzyme by effecting a change in the conformation of these sites whether
resulting in inhibition or activation. In fact, inhibition by metal ions provides more
information on the active site than does activation. Similar with the results of the present
study, Mg2+ and Mn2+ in Euphasia superba, Acartia clausi inactivated amylase activity. In
Heliodiaptomus viduus, Mg2+ inactivated amylase but Mn2+ did not. Na+ exhibited no
effect (Dutta et al 2006). Just like the observations of Dutta et al (2006), it was apparent
that the actions of metallic ions on amylase activity varied from one species to another in
the present study. Results from the rotifer amylase (Traifalgar et al 1999) were quite in
contrast with that of the present study in which the rotifer amylase activity was enhanced
or remained unaffected by the metal ions.
The Km value is an estimate of the affinity of the enzyme to its substrate and it
also indicates the concentration of the substrate found normally in the body of the
organism (i.e. its physiological concentration). The expression of amylase Km of other
workers involving small preys was mg mL -1 glucose so that conversion was necessary for
comparison purposes; the value estimated in the present study was 0.11 μM maltose to
mg mL-1 glucose, the Km of the brine shrimp amylase for starch was 1.98 mg glucose mL -
1
. This value was close to those found in unsorted neritic copepods (1.77 mg mL -1) and
Heliodiaptomus viduus (Dutta et al 2006) but less than that found in Acartia calusi (4.5
mg mL-1). The low Km values of the brine shrimp amylase for starch in the present study,
and those organisms whose amylase Km for starch exhibited similar values,
demonstrated that their amylases possessed similar enzyme affinity to the starch
substrate. The Vmax of the brine shrimp amylase under the Km value was estimated to
be 93.3 μg glucose mg protein -1 (converted from μg maltose mg protein -1). Comparison of
Vmax values with those reported by other workers was difficult because their expression
of activity was μg glucose mL -1 min-1 while specific activity (μmol maltose mg protein -1)
was used in the present study.
Conclusion. The initial velocity of amylase from the brine shrimp Artemia nauplii could
be measured using the linear curve of the volume of enzyme up to 0.5 mL and linear part
of the reaction time until 40 min. The enzyme of the nauplii exhibited specific activities of
80% or more of the maximal activity even until 8.0, with optimal pH value at 7.5. The
enzyme increased proportionately but nonlinearly with increasing temperature up to
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40oC. The enzyme exhibited wide thermal and pH stabilities (from 0 to about 50 oC and pH
6.0-7.5, respectively). All the metal ions inhibited the brine shrimp amylase retaining less
than 20% of the maximal activity. The estimated Km for starch of the Artemia nauplii
amylase was estimated to be 0.11 μM maltose mg protein -1 (equivalent to 1.98 mg mL-1
glucose).
Acknowledgements. We are grateful to the Bureau of Agricultural Research, Philippine
Department of Agriculture (DA-BAR) for the provision of research funding.
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Received: 17 June 2015. Accepted: 19 July 2015. Published online: 04 August 2015.
Authors:
Augusto E. Serrano, Jr., Institute of Aquaculture, College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, University of the
Philippines Visayas, Miagao 5023 Iloilo, Philippines. National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology,
University of the Philippines Visayas, Miagao 5023 Iloilo, Philippines, e-mail: [Link]@[Link]
Ernestina M. Peralta, Institute of Fish Processing Technology, College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences,
University of the Philippines Visayas, Miagao 5023 Iloilo, Philippines, email: le_peralta03@[Link]
This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which
permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source
are credited.
How to cite this article:
Serrano Jr. A. E., Peralta E. M., 2015 The effects of temperature, pH and metal ions on alpha amylase activity of
the brine shrimp Artemia salina. ELBA Bioflux 7(2):77-86.
ELBA Bioflux, 201X, Volume X, Issue X.
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