Substrate specificity, regioselectivity and hydrolytic activity of lipases activated from Geotrichum sp.

Substrate specificity (typoselectivity), regioselectivity and hydrolytic activity of induced lipases from three strains (4012, 4013, 4166) of Geotrichum candidum and that of Geotrichum ludwigii (48) were investigated. The lipases were induced in two types of culture media, of which the medium containing peptone as nitrogen source was proved to give better results. Olive oil was employed as inductor for the lipase activity. Activated lipases represented mostly extracelullar lipases, which penetrated through cellular membrane into medium. The activity of cell-bound lipase was also determined. Most of lipases belong to the group of specific lipases able to hydrolyse ester bonds in the positions sn-1 and sn-3 ester of triacylglycerols (1,3-selective lipases) and display specificity to saturated fatty acids. All activated lipases from Geotrichum sp., extracellular and cell-bound, were used as biocatalyst in the blackcurrant oil hydrolysis.