Femi-Ola, Titilayo Olufunke; Orjiakor, Paul Ikechukwu; Enerijiofi, Kingsley Erhons; Oke, Iyanuoluwa Omolade; Fatoyinbo, Adebayo Adeola
(Scientific Journals Maritime University of Szczecin, Zeszyty Naukowe Akademia Morska w Szczecinie,
)
Soil contaminated with crude oil has negatively affected some of the communities in Ekiti State region in
Nigeria. There is an increased interest in microbial lipases because of their enormous potential in industrial
and biotechnological applications. This study investigated the characteristics of partially-purified lipase from
Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from oil-contaminated soil in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State. The lipase was purified
by gel-filtration, having a molecular weight of 39.11 kDa, with Km and Vmax values of 12.50 and 28.86, respectively.
The enzyme had an optimal pH of 8.0 and exhibited its maximal activity at 50°C, whereas the relatively
stable temperature and pH were 40°C and 5.0, respectively. The enzyme activity was enhanced by olive oil,
which served as the carbon source. Sodium chloride enhanced lipase activity, while calcium chloride acted as
mild inhibitor, and iron chloride acted a strong inhibitor. The lipase from Pseudomonas aeruginosa possessed
properties of an industrial enzyme and will be useful for biodegradation and bioremediation studies