Abstract:
Lipids are hydrocarbons comprised of long‐chain fatty acids and are found in all
living things. In the environment, microorganisms degrade them to obtain
energy using esterases and lipases. These enzymes are nowadays used in
different industrial applications. We report isolation of 24 bacteria with esteresic
and lipolytic activity from Lake Magadi, Kenya. The isolates were characterised
using morphological, biochemical, and molecular methods. Isolates grew at an
optimum salt concentration of 5–8% (w/v), pH range of 8.0–9.0, and
temperature range of 35–40°C. The isolates were positive for esterase and
lipase assay as well as other extracellular enzymes. Phylogenetic analysis of the
16S ribosomal RNA gene showed that the isolates were affiliated to the
genus Bacillus, Alkalibacterium, Staphylococcus, Micrococcus, Halomonas, and
Alkalilimnicola. None of the bacterial isolates produced antimicrobial agents,
and all of them were resistant to trimethoprim and nalidixic acid but susceptible
to streptomycin, amoxillin, chloramphenicol, and cefotaxime. Growth at
elevated pH, salt, and temperature is an indicator that the enzymes from these
organisms could function well under haloalkaline conditions. Therefore, Lake
Magadi could be a good source of isolates with the potential to produce unique
biocatalysts for the biotechnology industry.
