Lipase activity in dormant seeds of the African oil bean (Pentaclethra macrophylla Benth)

Expression and characterization of an organic solvent tolerant recombinant lipase from Staphylococcus capitis SH6 for food wastewater treatment

The study illustrated here aims on an organic solvent tolerant lipase from Staphylococcus capitis (SCL). The gene part, encoding the mature lipase, was cloned and sequenced. The concluded polypeptide sequence, equivalent to the protein, consist of 388 amino acid residues with a molecular mass of about 45 kDa. A structure-based alignment of the SCL amino acid sequence shows high identities with those many staphylococcal lipases. From this alignment of sequences, the catalytic triad (Ser 117, Asp 308 and His 347) of SCL could be identified. The mature part of the SCL was expressed in Escherichia coli and the recombinant lipase (r-SCL) was purified to homogeneity. The purified r-SCL presented a quite interesting stability at low temperatures (< 30 °C) and the enzyme was found to be highly stable in polar organic solvent and at a pH ranging from 3 to 12. After that, we have demonstrated that the recombinant enzyme may be implicated in the biodegradability of oily wastewater from effluents of fast-food restaurants; the maximum conversion yield into fatty acids obtained at 30 °C, was 65%.

An encapsulated report on enzyme-assisted transesterification with an allusion to lipase

Biodiesel is a renewable, sulfur-free, toxic-free, and low carbon fuel which possesses enhanced lubricity. Transesterification is the easiest method employed for the production of biodiesel, in which the oil is transformed into biodiesel. Biocatalyst-mediated transesterification is more advantageous than chemical process because of its non-toxic nature, the requirement of mild reaction conditions, absence of saponification, easy product recovery, and production of high-quality biodiesel. Lipases are found to be the primary enzymes in enzyme-mediated transesterification process. Currently, researchers are using lipases as biocatalyst for transesterification. Lipases are extracted from various sources such as plants, microbes, and animals. Biocatalyst-based biodiesel production is not yet commercialized due to high-cost of purified enzymes and higher reaction time for the production process. However, research works are growing in the area of various cost-effective techniques for immobilizing lipase to improve its reusability. And further reduction in the production cost of lipases can be achieved by genetic engineering techniques. The reduction in reaction time can be achieved through ultrasonic-assisted biocatalytic transesterification. Biodiesel production by enzymatic transesterification is affected by many factors. Various methods have been developed to control these factors and improve biodiesel production. This report summarizes the various sources of lipase, various production strategies for lipase and the lipase-mediated transesterification. It is fully focused on the lipase enzyme and its role in biodiesel production. It also covers the detailed explanation of various influencing factors, which affect the lipase-mediated transesterification along with the limitations and scope of lipase in biodiesel production.

Recent Advances in Feedstock and Lipase Research and Development towards Commercialization of Enzymatic Biodiesel

Biodiesel is a biodegradable, renewable, and carbon-neutral alternative to petroleum diesel that can contribute to the global effort of minimizing the use of fossil fuels and meeting the ever-growing energy demands and stringent environmental constraints. The aim of this work was to (1) review the recent progress in feedstock development, including first, second, third, and fourth-generation feedstocks for biodiesel production; (2) discuss recent progress in lipase research and development as one of the key factors for establishing a cost-competitive biodiesel process in terms of enzyme sources, properties, immobilization, and transesterification efficiency; and (3) provide an update of the current challenges and opportunities for biodiesel commercialization from techno-economic and social perspectives. Related biodiesel producers, markets, challenges, and opportunities for biodiesel commercialization, including environmental considerations, are critically discussed.

Retracted: Partial purification and characterization of lipase from locally produced edible oil-seeds and its relevance in industries

Lipase was extracted from germinating seeds of Helianthus annus (Sunflower), Zea mays (Maize), and Brassica compastris (Mustard). The lipolytic activity was assessed using olive oil as substrate at different germination-time and the maximum-activity was obtained after 120 hr. Partial-purification was executed by precipitating the seed-homogenate with varying concentration of ammonium sulfate solution. 80% ammonium sulfate solution showed maximum lipase activity of 5320IUml-1 , 3500IUml-1 , 3080IUml-1 with 9.6, 6.9, and 4.8-fold purification and total protein content of 162, 84, and 60 mg for partially purified enzyme extracts namely SN5, BN5, and MN5, respectively. The optimum temperature and pH observed for hydrolysis of olive oil were 37°C, and 8.0 respectively. Enzyme was found to be stable upto 6 days at 4°C and its activity was stimulated by Ca+2 ions. Oil-stains removal from cotton fabric was observed to be superior in the presence of lipase and detergent. Moreover, the SN5, BN5, and MN5 lipase increased free fatty acid release upto 4.2, 4.3, and 3.8 mg, respectively than wastewater without treatment of lipase (0.21 mg) and promoted fat hydrolysis to approximately 40, 42, and 48% mass reduction after 6 hr incubation of fat particle at a concentration of 20 mg/ml. Biodiesel produced by catalyzing transesterification of vegetable oil with SN5, BN5, and MN5 lipase provided an acid value of 0.8, 1.08, and 0.5 mg/g, viscosity 5.50, 5.7, and 5.53 mm2 /s and density 0.87, 0.88, and 0.79 g/ml, respectively. To the best of our knowledge, no such study has been conducted prior on lipase from the seeds mentioned above in Azad Kashmir region.

A cleaner process of deinking waste paper pulp using Pseudomonas mendocina ED9 lipase supplemented enzyme cocktail

Lipase enzyme has a critical role in deinking process along with other lignocellulosic enzymes. In this paper, we try to demonstrate the role of lipase in the enzyme cocktail used for enzymatic deinking. For this, we identified a potential lipolytic bacterium, Pseudomonas mendocina ED9 isolated from elephant dung with a molecular weight of 35 kDa. During the Box-Benhken model optimization, a maximum lipase activity of 105.12 U/g, which was 12.36-fold higher than the initial enzyme activity and 1.3-fold higher than the activity obtained during the Plackett Burman design, was achieved. A maximum lipase activity of 105.12 U/g was obtained after optimization. Ammonium sulphate (60%) precipitation resulted in a specific activity of 68.19 U/mg with a 1.4-fold purification and yield of 64%. Lipase from P. mendocina ED9 exhibited a Km of 0.5306 mM and Vmax of 25.0237 μmol/min/mg. A Δ brightness of approximately 14.5% were achieved during the enzymatic deinking using cocktail comprised of cellulase, xylanase and lipase. This reports the significant role and efficacy of lipase in enzyme cocktails for deinking applications. This formulation will reduce the pollution and environmental toxicity of conventional chemical deinking.

Purification and biochemical characterization of an organic solvent-tolerant and detergent-stable lipase from Staphylococcus capitis

A mesophilic bacterial culture, producing an extracellular alkaline lipase, was isolated from the gas-washing wastewaters generated from the Sfax phosphate plant of the Tunisian Chemical Group and identified as Staphylococcus capitis strain. The lipase, named S. capitis lipase (SCL), has been purified to homogeneity from the culture medium. The purified enzyme molecular weight was around 45 kDa. Specific activities about 3,900 and 500 U/mg were measured using tributyrin and olive oil emulsion as substrates, respectively at 37°C and pH 8.5. Interestingly, the SCL maintained more than 60% of its initial activity over a wide pH values ranging from 5 to 11 with a high stability between pH 9 and 11 after 1 hr of incubation at room temperature. The lipase activity was enhanced in the presence of 2 mM of Mg²⁺ , Ca²⁺ , and K⁺ . SCL showed significant stability in the presence of detergents and organic solvents. Altogether, these features make the SCL useful for industrial applications. Besides, SCL was compatible with commercially available detergents, and its incorporation increases lipid degradation performances making it a potential candidate in detergent formulation.

Lipase Activity of Tropical Oilseed Plants for Ethyl Biodiesel Synthesis and Their Typo- and Regioselectivity

The aim of this work was to investigate lipase activities in crude extracts from Adansonia suarezensis, Adansonia grandidieri, Moringa drouhardii, Moringa oleifera, Jatropha mahafalensis, and Jatropha curcas seeds in ethanolysis and hydrolysis reactions. All crude extracts from germinated seeds showed both ethanolysis and hydrolysis activities. The influence of germination, the delipidation procedure, and the triacylglycerol/ethanol molar ratio on their ethanolysis activity was studied. Crude extracts of Jatropha and Adansonia seeds showed optimal activity at pH 8 with an optimum temperature of 30 and 40 °C, respectively. The study of the regioselectivity of crude extracts from J. mahafalensis and A. grandidieri seeds, which had the most active hydrolysis reaction, showed 1,3 regioselectivity in the hydrolysis reaction of vegetable oils. The crude extract from A. grandidieri seeds showed no typoselectivity, whereas the typoselectivity of the crude extract of J. mahafalensis seeds depended on the type of reaction.

Reduced Triacylglycerol Mobilization during Seed Germination and Early Seedling Growth in Arabidopsis Containing Nutritionally Important Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids

There are now several examples of plant species engineered to synthesize and accumulate nutritionally important polyunsaturated fatty acids in their seed triacylglycerols (TAG). The utilization of TAG in germinating seeds of such transgenic plants was unknown. In this study, we examined the TAG utilization efficiency during seed germination in transgenic Arabidopsis seeds containing several examples of these fatty acids. Seed TAG species with native fatty acids had higher utilization rate than the TAG species containing transgenically produced polyunsaturated fatty acids. Conversely, quantification of the fatty acid components remaining in the total TAG after early stages of seed germination revealed that the undigested TAGs tended to contain elevated levels of the engineered polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). LC-MS analysis further revealed asymmetrical mobilization rates for the individual TAG species. TAGs which contained multiple PUFA fatty acids were mobilized slower than the species containing single PUFA. The mobilized engineered fatty acids were used in de novo membrane lipid synthesis during seedling development.

Cloning, expression, purification and characterization of lipase from Bacillus licheniformis, isolated from hot spring of Himachal Pradesh, India

In the present investigation, a gene encoding extracellular lipase was cloned from a Bacillus licheniformis. The recombinant protein containing His-tag was expressed as inclusion bodies in Esherichia coli BL21DE3 cells, using pET-23a as expression vector. Expressed protein purified from the inclusion bodies demonstrated ~22 kDa protein band on 12 % SDS-PAGE. It exhibited specific activity of 0.49 U mg⁻¹ and % yield of 8.58. Interestingly, the lipase displayed activity at wide range of pH and temperature, i.e., 9.0–14.0 pH and 30–80 °C, respectively. It further demonstrated ~100 % enzyme activity in presence of various organic solvents. Enzyme activity was strongly inhibited in the presence of β-ME. Additionally, the serine and histidine modifiers also inhibited the enzyme activities strongly at all concentrations that suggest their role in the catalytic center. Enzyme could retain its activity in presence of various detergents (Triton X-100, Tween 20, Tween 40, SDS). Sequence and structural analysis employing in silico tools revealed that the lipase contained two highly conserved sequences consisting of ITITGCGNDL and NLYNP, arranged as parallel β-sheet in the core of the 3D structure. The function of these conserve sequences have not fully understood.

Immobilization of a Plant Lipase from Pachira aquatica in Alginate and Alginate/PVA Beads

This study reports the immobilization of a new lipase isolated from oleaginous seeds of Pachira aquatica, using beads of calcium alginate (Alg) and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA). We evaluated the morphology, number of cycles of reuse, optimum temperature, and temperature stability of both immobilization methods compared to the free enzyme. The immobilized enzymes were more stable than the free enzyme, keeping 60% of the original activity after 4 h at 50°C. The immobilized lipase was reused several times, with activity decreasing to approximately 50% after 5 cycles. Both the free and immobilized enzymes were found to be optimally active between 30 and 40°C.

Stability of a Lipase Extracted from Seeds of Pachira aquatica in Commercial Detergents and Application Tests in Poultry Wastewater Pretreatment and Fat Particle Hydrolysis

A protein extract containing a plant lipase from oleaginous seeds of Pachira aquatica was tested using soybean oil, wastewater from a poultry processing plant, and beef fat particles as substrate. The hydrolysis experiments were carried out at a temperature of 40°C, an incubation time of 90 minutes, and pH 8.0-9.0. The enzyme had the best stability at pH 9.0 and showed good stability in the alkaline range. It was found that P. aquatica lipase was stable in the presence of some commercial laundry detergent formulations, and it retained full activity up to 0.35% in hydrogen peroxide, despite losing activity at higher concentrations. Concerning wastewater, the lipase increased free fatty acids release by 7.4 times and promoted the hydrolysis of approximately 10% of the fats, suggesting that it could be included in a pretreatment stage, especially for vegetable oil degradation.

Ugba, the fermented African oilbean seeds; its production, chemical composition, preservation, safety and health benefits

Ugba is the Ibo name of the fermented African Oilbean seeds (Pentaclethra macrophylla, Benth). It is a traditional food condiment generally produced by natural (local) fermentation in homes as a small family business. It is an important and cheap source of protein for people whose staple foods are deficient in proteins. It is also eaten as a delicacy and used as flavouring for soup. This write up aims to review all published studies on ugba in the direction of the various methods used in the production, the chemical composition of the seeds, the microorganisms involved and the biochemical changes that occur during fermentation and optimization of the fermentation. The nutritional and food values, toxicological properties, health promoting potentials, microbiological safety as well as the storage and preservation have also been highlighted.