LAUSR

β‐cyclodextrin glucosyltransferase (β‐CGTase) is an essential enzyme to catalyse the biotransformation of starch into β‐cyclodextrins (β‐CD). β‐CD has widespread applications in the biomedical, pharmaceutical and food industries. The present study focused on β‐CGTase production using an efficient natural microbial strain and statistical production optimization for enhanced production. The isolated organism Bacillus sp. NCIM 5799 was found to be 5 μm short bacilli under FE‐SEM and alkalihalophilic in nature. The β‐CGTase production was optimized using a combination of Plackett–Burman design (PBD) and Central Composite Design—Response Surface Methodology (CCD‐RSM). On PBD screening Na2CO3, peptone and MgSO4.7H2O were found to be significant for optimal β‐CGTase production, whereas the soluble starch and K2HPO4 concentrations were found to be nonsignificant for β‐CGTase production. The significant factors obtained after PBD were further optimized using CCD‐RSM design. Peptone was found to have a significant interaction effect with Na2CO3, and MgSO4·7H2O and Na2CO3 exhibited a significant effect on the production of CGTase. The production of β‐CGTase was enhanced in the presence of peptone (3%) and Na2CO3 (0·8%). CGTase production obtained was 156·76 U/ml when optimized using CCD‐RSM. The final optimized medium (RSM) shows 7·7‐ and 5·4‐fold high productions as compared to un‐optimized and one factor at a time production media.