A new record of Actinobacteria isolated from soil in Jerusalem and their enzymatic potential

Actinobacteria are well recognized for their bioactive compounds.They are considered as a promising source of wide range of important enzymes, some of which are produced on an industrial scale. In this study, 35 isolates of actinomycetes were isolated from soil samples collected in the area of Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, Israel. To our knowledge, this is the first study of actinomycetes from this terrestrial environment. The efficiency of the isolated actinobacteria in the production of amylase, cellulase, protease, tyrosinase, lipase, catalase and phosphatase was studied. Isolates obtained showed some activity and other completely failed to produce such enzymes. From total 35 isolates, only three isolates (8.6%) showed ability to produce protease, four isolates (11.4%) for lipase, five isolates (14.3%) for tyrosinase and two isolates (5.7%) for phosphatase enzymes. However, all isolates were positive for amylase and catalase enzymes; vice versa for cellulase enzyme all isolates failed to degrade cellulose in the form of carboxymethylcellulose.