Enhancement of Lipase Production using Bacteria Isolates from Meat Samples within Sokoto Metropolis

The need for biological enzyme production by microbes, such as lipase from bacteria, to replace chemical usage in the food and cosmetic industries will assist in achieving non-toxicity and biodegradability. This study aimed to produce and optimize process conditions of lipase using bacteria isolated from meat samples obtained around Sokoto Modern Abattoir of Sokoto metropolis, Sokoto State Nigeria. Bacteria were isolated and screened using sterile olive oil with phenol red agar. Temperature, substrate concentration, pH, and incubation time were optimized using one factor at a time (OFAT) analyses. The most potent bacteria in the lipase yield production were molecularly characterized. The identified isolates include Bacillus spp., Streptococcus sp., Acinetobacter baumanii, Lactobacillus sp., and Klebsiella pneumoniae. From the screening results, three (3) isolates were positive for lipase production, as evidenced by visible precipitates resulting from the degradation of fatty acids. Out of the three (3) isolates, two (2) exhibit more obvious precipitates from the calcium salt that the fatty acid generated during the hydrolysis reaction. Temperature optimization indicates 40°C for Bacillus sp. and 50°C for Acinetobacter baumanii were ideal for lipase synthesis. Acinetobacter baumanii showed more lipase producing activity than Bacillus sp. at pH 8, which was found to be the optimal pH for optimizing lipase synthesis for both isolates. Optimized incubation time also revealed that 48 hours was the ideal duration for the highest yield, while investigations on substrate concentration showed that 2.0% of substrate was ideal for lipase production. The results of the titrimetric assay showed an average of 13.93±8.00U/ml of lipase activity after 24 hours of incubation at 37°C, with the highest activity recorded from Bacillus sp. (25.00±0.10U/ml). This research revealed Bacillus sp. and Acinetobacter baumanii to be potential candidates in producing lipase, which could serve as a promising biocatalyzing agent for large-scale industrial applications such as food and cosmetic productions.