Characterization and production of fungal lipases isolated from diesel oil contaminated soil

28 lipolytic fungal isolates were screened by enrichment culture technique from diesel oil contaminated soil on tributyrin enriched sabouraud agar medium plates. Out of 28 fungi, isolate 4b which was identified as Penicillium sp. a promising strain for lipase production showed maximum zone of hydrolysis around colony with maximum lipase activity (2.5). The specific lipase activity of Penicillium sp. was found to be 2.08 µM/min/mg. Results indicates that indigenous soil microbial degradation can be considered as a key component in the cleanup strategy for petroleum hydrocarbon remediation.