421OPTIMIZATION OF CULTURAL CONDITIONS FOR TANNASE PRODUCTION IN SUBMERGED FERMENTATION BY ASPERGILLUS NIGER AVM-1Tannase (E.C. 3.1.1.20), is an inducible extra-cellular enzyme produced by a number of microbes, animals and plants. The present study explores the natural ability of fungi to utilize tannin as a source of carbon. Tea waste dumped soil samples were used for isolation of tannase producing fungi. In this study, Aspergillus niger AVM-1 was isolated from the tea waste dumped soil and was exploited for tannase production under submerged fermentation. Optimization parameters such as incubation period, tannic acid (inducer) concentration, pH and temperature were investigated for maximum tannase production. The optimum conditions were found to be incubation period (96 hrs), tannic acid (2 % w/v), pH (5.5) and temperature (30°C). The DNA damage protecting activity of product obtained after tannic acid hydrolysis was assessed bringing about the DNA damage with H2O2 + UV exposure in absence of the hydrolyzed products of tannic acid. The experiment was carried out by using Agarose gel electrophoresis to analyze DNA damage in presence of H2O2 + UV. However, there was no damage of DNA by H2O2 + UV exposure in presence of the hydrolysis products. This organism may have a great potential in the tannin degradation which could be of great commercial valueavmang@gmail.comResearch522014Tea waste dump soil,Screening,Aspergillus niger AVM-1, Cultural conditions,Antioxidant propertyAmitsinh V. Mangrola,Hitesh V. Patel,Chaitanyasinh J. Chudasama,Chintan N. Vavadia,Hardik ShahDepartment of Biochemistry, Shri Alpesh N. Patel Post Graduate Institute, Anand-388 001, Gujarat, India.,Department of Biochemistry, Shri Alpesh N. Patel Post Graduate Institute, Anand-388 001, Gujarat, India.,Department of Biochemistry, Shri Alpesh N. Patel Post Graduate Institute, Anand-388 001, Gujarat, India.,Department of Biochemistry, Shri Alpesh N. Patel Post Graduate Institute, Anand-388 001, Gujarat, India.,Department of Biochemistry, Shri Alpesh N. Patel Post Graduate Institute, Anand-388 001, Gujarat, India.