[A study of the Thermomyces lanuginosus lipolytic activity on tributyrin]

The study was to compare the lipolytic activity of Thermomyces lanuginosus wild strains on the medium containing 1-% tributyrin. The strains were isolated from raw coffee beans, shelled hazelnuts, mushroom compost, biohumus, garden compost and leaf compost. The incubation was carried out at 55 degrees C for ten days. The lipolytic activity index was the hydrolysis zone diameter/colony diameter ratio. Daily growth rates and daily clearance zone increase were also analyzed. All strains tested hydrolyzed tributyrin. The highest lipolytic activity index values were found in the strains isolated from raw coffee beans. Relatively high lipolytic activity index values were also found in the strains isolated from shelled hazelnuts. The highest lipolytic activity indices were observed between the 3rd and 5th day of incubation. It was hypothesized that the products of the tributyrin hydrolysis considerably affected both fungal growth and lipolytic activity. The T. lanuginosus strains isolated from raw coffee beans and shelled hazelnuts have a great biotechnological potential.