Background: Lipases are used in detergent industries to minimise the use of phosphate-based chemicals in
detergent formulations. The use of lipase in household laundry reduces environmental pollution and enhances
the ability of detergent to remove tough oil or grease stains.
Results: A lipase-producing indigenous
Bacillus subtilis
strain [accession no. KT985358] was isolated from the
foothills of Trikuta mountain in Jammu and Kashmir, India. The lipase (BSK-L) produced by this strain
expressed alkali and thermotolerance. Lipase has an optimal activity at pH 8.0 and temperature 37°C, whereas
it is stable at pH 6.0–9.0 and showed active lipolytic activity at temperatures 30 to 60°C. Furthermore, lipase
activity was found to be stimulated in the presence of the metal ions Mn
2+, K
+, Zn
2+, Fe
2+ and Ca
2+. This
lipase was resistant to surfactants, oxidising agents and commercial detergents, suggesting it as a potential
candidate for detergent formulation. BSK-L displayed noticeable capability to remove oil stains when used in
different washing solutions containing buffer, lipase and commercial detergent. The maximum olive oil
removal percentage obtained was 68% when the optimum detergent concentration (Fena) was 0.3%. The oil
removal percentage from olive oil-soiled cotton fabric increased with 40 U/mL of lipase.
Conclusions: This BSK-L enzyme has the potential for removing oil stains by developing a pre-soaked solution for
detergent formulation and was compatible with surfactants, oxidising agents and commercial detergents.
