STUDIES ON LIPASE

III. EFFECT OF CALCIUM ION ON THE ACTION OF THE CRYSTALLINE LIPASE OF ASPERGILLUS NIGER

Abstract

Using a crystalline lipase isolated from Aspergillus niger culture, Ca ion effect on various actions of the enzyme was examined.
Using olive oil as the substrate for hydrolysis, Ca ion clearly enhanced the enzyme activity, whereas Ca ion exhibited an inhibitory effect on the hydrolytic action on triacetin. The esterifying activity of this enzyme on oleic acid was also inhibited by Ca ion.
These findings together with other observations suggested that the formation of calcium salts of fatty acids produced from olive oil seemed to favor the physical conditions of the reaction mixture by improving the interface relationship between the oil substrate and water.