[Lipolytic activity in some Candida strains (author's transl)].

Abstract

The authors carried out an examination on the production of lipase in 300 Candida strains. The lipolytic activity was present in the majority of strains. In the 60 of the strains a more precise measurement of lipase production was performed qualitatively in a solid medium according to SIERRA (1957) and quantitatively in a liquid medium by titration with 0.1 N KOH. Furthermore, the correlation was determined between the production of lipase and the Candida growth. It was found that the qualitative proof of lipase in a solid medium according to SIERRA (1957) is a good informative method for determining lipolytic activity in Candidae. A much more sensitive method, however, is the quantitative method in a liquid medium; by this method the authors were successful in determining lipolytic activity even in some cases where the qualitative test was negative. On the whole, Candidae are lipolytically highly active. The mean values of lipase production in the Candida albicans cultures is 622 units in 1 ml of liquid medium; in other strains it is 798 units in 1 ml. There is a direct relation between the density of the culture and the amount of lipase produced.