Rapid Method for Screening of High Lipase Producing Bacteria

Abstract

The method for screening of high lipase producing bacteria was developed on the basis of bacterial ability in changing the color of bromocresol purple (BCP) which was added to the culture media containing olive oil as sole substrate. This screening method was comparable efficiency to the method using appearance of clear zone on emulsion tributyrin agar. However, the former one was much faster than the later on which is commonly used. The isolates that showed rapid change in the color of BCP showed the tendency to have high lipase activities. There were 6 isolates among 191 isolates capable in rapidly changing the BCP color. Five of the 6 isolates were confirmed to have high lipase activity when their activities were quantitatively assayed. Therefore, the method of using BCP was recommended to be used as an initial rapid method for primary screening of the bacteria producing high lipase activity.