ABSTRACT
A screening program concerning lipolytic fungi of Wadi Qena of the Eastern Desert of Egypt was undertakenOf 105 fungal isolates, 42.8% were lipolytic of which 13.3%, 11.4%, 2.9% and 15.2% belonging to Aspergillus, Penicillium, Alternaria and other genera, respectivelyThe most potent lipolytic fungal species were Penicillium aurantiogriseum Dierck and Alternaria alternata [Fries] KeisslerOptimal conditions for maximum lipase[s] production were recorded as follows: Incubation period, 5 days, incubation temperature 30C +/- 2, the best lipid is coconut oil at the level of 0.2% [v/v], the best nitrogen source is peptone at the concentration of 0.3% [w/v]The best buffer is either phosphate or phosphate citrate [0.2 M and pH 5.8]The best divalent cation is Ca2+ at the concentration level of 50 ppm and shaking at 120 rpmUnder these conditions lipases yields increased up to 550 ug/ml in case of Paurantiogriseum and 1100 ug/ml in case of Alternaria alternataA suggestion was given to increase this yield by applying the production under large scale because the present lipases attack both simple and complex fats which gives some hope to apply them in the field of food technology or even as an adjuvant in industrial detergents