STRAIN OF THALASSOMONAS SP. HAVING A AGAR-DECOMPOSITION ACTIVITY AND METHOD OF PRODUCING AGAROOLIGOSACCHARIDES USING THE SAME

摘要

A strain of Thalassomonas sp. having agar-decomposition activity is provided to produce an agar-decomposition catalyst which is beta-agarase, thereby producing agarooligosaccharides having various useful functions including bacteria growth inhibition, starch aging inhibition, macrophage activation, moisturizing effects and skin-whitening effects. A strain of Thalassomonas sp. SL-5(KCCM 10790P) has the agar-decomposition activity and is isolated from the coastal seawater. A biocatalyst having the agar-decomposition activity, beta-agarase, contains at least one selected from group consisting of the stain-cultured medium or the concentrate of cultured medium. The agarooligosaccharides including neoagarobiose, neoagarotetraose and neoagarohexaose are prepared by reacting the agar-decomposition catalyst with agar at 20-80 deg.C and pH 5.0-7.0.