Background: Lipases are used in detergent industries to minimise the
use of phosphate-based chemicals in detergent formulations. The use of
lipase in household laundry reduces environmental pollution and
enhances the ability of detergent to remove tough oil or grease stains.
Results: A lipase-producing indigenous Bacillus subtilis strain
[accession no. KT985358] was isolated from the foothills of Trikuta
mountain in Jammu and Kashmir, India. The lipase (BSK-L) produced by
this strain expressed alkali and thermotolerance. Lipase has an optimal
activity at pH 8.0 and temperature 37\ub0C, whereas it is stable at
pH 6.0\u20139.0 and showed active lipolytic activity at temperatures
30 to 60\ub0C. Furthermore, lipase activity was found to be
stimulated in the presence of the metal ions Mn2+, K+, Zn2+, Fe2+ and
Ca2+. This lipase was resistant to surfactants, oxidising agents and
commercial detergents, suggesting it as a potential candidate for
detergent formulation. BSK-L displayed noticeable capability to remove
oil stains when used in different washing solutions containing buffer,
lipase and commercial detergent. The maximum olive oil removal
percentage obtained was 68% when the optimum detergent concentration
(Fena) was 0.3%. The oil removal percentage from olive oil-soiled
cotton fabric increased with 40 U/mL of lipase. Conclusions: This BSK-L
enzyme has the potential for removing oil stains by developing a
pre-soaked solution for detergent formulation and was compatible with
surfactants, oxidising agents and commercial detergents