ABSTRACT

Isolation and optimization of Lipase producing bacteria from palm plantation soils of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike was carried out using culture techniques. Microorganisms of four genera were isolated from the three samples collected from the areas under study. Bacillus, Staphylococcus and Pseudomonas occurred (100%) in all the samples which suggests them to be most prevalent while Enterobacteria sp occurred in only two samples (67%). Optimization was carried out using Pseudomonas  which showed highest clearance zone in the isolation medium. Maximal lipase production was achieved at the optimum incubation time of 48hours (25.90µ/mol), temperature of 40oC (24.41 µ/mol) and pH of 7.0 (24.59 µ/mol) using olive oil as the standard substrate. The effect of various substrate for optimum production of lipase was also investigated and palm oil was observed to have the peak enzyme activity. (22.07 µ/mol) That is to say that the search for novel gene for enzyme production should be channeled to soil sample exploitation.

TABLE OF CONTENT

Preliminary Pages

Title Page i

Certification ii

Dedication iii

Acknowledgement iv

Table of Content v

List of Tables vi

List of Figures viii

Abstract ix

Chapter One

1.1 Introduction 1

1.2 Aim of Study 4

1.3 Objective 4

Chapter Two

2.0 Literature Review 5

2.1 Lipases 5

2.2 Sources of Lipases 6

Chapter Three

3.0 Materials And Methods 10

3.1 Area of Study 10

3.2 Sample and Sampling 10

3.3 Isolation of Lypolytic Bacteria 10

3.4.0 Characterization of Lypolytic Bacteria Isolates 11

3.4.1 Colony Morphology and Characteristics 11

3.4.2 Microscopic Morphological Characteristics 11

3.4.3 Biochemical Reaction Test 12

3.4.4 Identification of Lypolytic Bacteria Isolate 12

3.5.0 Optimization of Parameters for Lypolytic Bacteria Activity 12

3.5.1 Optimization of Temperature for Lipase Activity 12

3.5.2 Optimization of pH for Lipase Activity 13

3.5.3 Optimization of Incubation Time 13

3.5.4 Optimization of Substrates for Lipase Activity 13

3.6 Extraction of Crude Enzyme 14

3.7 Determination of Lipase Activity 14

Chapter Four

4.0 Results 15

Chapter Five

5.0 Discussion 26

5.1 Conclusion 29

5.2 Recommendation 30

References