Sustainable Production of Lipase from <i>Thermomyces lanuginosus</i>: Process Optimization and Enzyme Characterization

Abstract

The lipase production process by Thermomyces lanuginosus solid-state cultivation on hull-less pumpkin oil pomace was studied. A reduced quadratic model of lipase production was proposed based on the optimization of five independent variables followed by a model validation with 95% accuracy. Maximum lipase production was obtained after a process duration of 2 days with high volumetric and specific activity. The enzyme activity of 391 U gdb–1 proves that the developed process is highly efficient. Partial purification of the crude enzymatic extracts was investigated, and a highly concentrated lipase liquid preparation with a volumetric activity of 422 U cm–3 was achieved. The sustainability of the process was confirmed by a snapshot assessment using the green chemistry matrix of the E-factor and the process mass intensity, quoting on the mass efficiency. The new lipase process was in the range of the best white biotechnology processes, as per green chemistry metrics ranking.