Science and Education Publishing Journal of Applied & Environmental Microbiology 2 4 2014 06 15 α-Amylase Production and Applications: A Review 166 175 EN Ajita Sundarram Thirupathihalli Pandurangappa Krishna Murthy Department of Biotechnology, Sapthagiri College of Engineering, Bangalore, India JAEM20142410 10.12691/jaem-2-4-10 2014 05 03 2014 06 12 2014 06 15 Amylases are important hydrolase enzymes which have been widely used since many decades. These enzymes randomly cleave internal glycosidic linkages in starch molecules to hydrolyze them and yield dextrins and oligosaccharides. Among amylases α-Amylase is in maximum demand due to its wide range of applications in the industrial front. With consumers growing increasingly aware of environmental issues, industries find enzymes as a good alternative over other chemical catalysts. α-Amylase can be produced by plant or microbial sources. Due to the advantages that microbial production offers, α-Amylase from microorganisms has been focused upon and preferred to other sources for production. The ubiquitous nature, ease of production and broad spectrum of applications make α-Amylase an industrially important enzyme. This report focuses on the microbial production of α-Amylase and its applications.