A new thermophilic strain of Bacillus SPS-0 which produces thermostable xyl
anases was isolated from a hot spring in Portugal. Xylanase production was
50 nkat/ml in the presence of wheat bran arabinoxylan. The temperature and
pH for optimum activity were 75 degrees C and 6-9, respectively. The hydrol
ysis patterns demonstrated that crude xylanases yield mainly xylose and xyl
obiose from xylan, whereas xylose and arabinose were produced from destarch
ed wheat bran. An increase in xylose release was observed when SPS-0 xylana
se was supplemented by a ferulic acid esterase.