Isolation and identification of alkaline thermostable lipase producing microorganism and some properties of crude enzyme.

A bacterial strain isolated from soil and identified as Enterococcus faecalis was found capable of producing alkaline thermostable lipase. Optimum pH, temperature and time for enzyme substrate reaction were found to be 8.0, 60 degrees C and 10 min respectively. Phosphates and common surfactants have no or very little inhibitory effects on the activity of the enzyme, whereas bile salts are inhibitory to the enzyme activity. Maximum activity of the enzyme obtained so far is 54.6 IU/ml.