The present study indicate the scope for the
utilization of the marine fungus Aspergillus awamori Nagazawa BTMFW 032 for
extracellular lipase production employing submerged fermentation. To the best of
our knowledge this is the first report on lipase production by a marine fungus
employing statistical modeling towards industrial production. The characterization
of purified lipase produced by A. awamori showed stability in organic solvents,
oxidizing agent and reducing agents, I,3-regiospecificity and hydrolytic activity.
These properties make this lipase an ideal candidate for biocatalysis in organic
media for the production of novel compounds such as biodiesel and sugar fatty
esters. 91.4 % reduction in oil and grease content in ayurvedic oil by the treatment
of A. awamori lipase indicates that there is a scope for this enzyme in the treatment
of oil effluents and bioremediation. There is ample scope for further research on
the biochemistry of the enzyme, structure elucidation and enzyme engineering
towards a wide range of further applications, besides enriching scientific
knowledge on marine enzymes.Department of Biotechnology,
Cochin University of Science and Technolog
