ISOLATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF CRUDE LIPASE FROM SPROUTED HIBISCUS SABDARIFFA (SORREL) SEEDS

Lawan Bala Buratai^{1, *}, Malgwi David Saidu¹, Ali Abdulrahman Ali¹, Mohammed Adamu Milala¹, Hadiza Kubura Lawan²

¹Department of Biochemistry, University of Maiduguri, Maiduguri, Nigeria

²Department of Food Science and Technology, University of Maiduguri, Maiduguri, Nigeria

Email: lawanburatai@gmail.com

Abstract

Lipases (triacylglycerols acylhydrolase, EC. 3.1.1.3) are part of the family of hydrolases that act on carboxylic ester bonds. Lipase enzyme was isolated from sorrel (Hibiscus sabdariffa) seeds and characterized. The seeds were sprouted, dried at room temperature, ground to powder and homogenized in phosphate buffer to extract the crude enzyme. Lipase activity was determined using egg yolk as substrate. The activity of the enzyme was found to value with optimum pH 6.0 and temperature, 37°C, while the activation energy was 10.2 kJ/mol. The K_M and Vmax were 1.70 mg/ml and 3.92 µmol/ml respectively. The enzyme was inhibited by mercury in form of HgCl₂. Preliminary kinetic data for the lipase have been obtained and it could be useful in assessing its overall suitability in industrial and domestic uses.

Keywords: Hibiscus Sabdariffa, Seed Lipases, Sprouting, Germination