SELECTION OF SUITABLE BASAL MEDIUM FORMULATION FOR EXTRACELLULAR LIPASE PRODUCTION AND GROWTH OF FIVE LIPOLYTIC FUNGI

Abstract

TThe main purpose of this study was to select the basal medium, suitable for the growth of fungal isolates, which favors
the mycelium growth and extracellular lipase production. For this, five fungi were isolated from the oil contaminated
sites of Ujjain city and identified as Curvularia lunata (Wakker) Boedijn, Aspergillus flavus Link, Trichoderma harzianum Rifai,
Aspergillus parasiticus Speare and Aspergillus niger gr. Four media namely Medium–1, Medium–2, Medium–3 and Medium–
4 with different composition were tested for mycelium growth and lipase production by these five fungi. Results showed
that Medium–1 was found as the most suitable for the growth of lipase producing fungi and also for extracellular lipase
production over other three media, while Medium-4 was found the least suitable medium for the growth and lipase
production by all the five fungi. In Medium-1, Trichoderma harzianum Rifai, Aspergillus niger gr., Curvularia lunata (Wakker)
Boedijn and Aspergillus flavus Link showed maximum 20 mm clearance zone of lipase activity with dry weight of biomass
3.00 g, 2.89 g, 1.96 g and 2.80 g respectively while Aspergillus parasiticus Speare showed 15 mm clearance zone of lipase
activity with dry weight of biomass 1.98 g. The study can conclude that best suitable medium for lipase production
should contain olive oil as lipid substrate, peptone as protein source and Mg2+ and K+
ions source. These not only
support the mycelial growth but also the production of lipase, extracellularly in the liquid medium. In general this study
support that selection of best suited basal medium for the growth of fungi should be done before the large scale
production of lipase.