review · Microbial Cell Factories
Microbial lipases act as versatile biocatalysts capable of hydrolysing lipid substrates and catalysing esterification under mild conditions. Production can be optimised through fermentation strategies that utilise agro-industrial residues as cost-effective substrates. However, purification remains challenging across techniques such as chromatography, ultrafiltration, and precipitation, requiring methods to maintain enzyme stability and specificity. Genetic engineering techniques are increasingly applied to enhance lipase characteristics, including catalytic activity, stability, and substrate specificity. These enzymes support sustainable green chemistry approaches across various sectors, such as food, pharmaceuticals, biofuels, and cosmetics, whilst also playing roles in biodegradation and bioremediation. In the medical field, lipases show promise for diagnostics, anti-obesity therapies, and drug delivery systems. Developing microbes as cell factories offers a route towards the sustainable production of these enzymes for industrial and clinical applications.
Industrial processes increasingly require sustainable, eco-friendly alternatives to traditional chemical catalysts. Microbial lipases operate under mild conditions, reducing energy demands and environmental impacts. By using agro-industrial waste to cultivate these enzymes, industries can lower production costs while supporting circular economy models. Furthermore, their versatility enables improvements across diverse areas, ranging from cleaner manufacturing and biofuel generation to advanced medical treatments and diagnostic applications.
The abstract describes broad commercial relevance for manufacturers in food, cosmetics, biofuels, and pharmaceuticals, alongside environmental remediation services. However, as this is a review synthesising existing literature on production techniques, genetic engineering, and applications, the abstract does not report a specific proprietary product or its exact stage of commercial readiness. Practical adoption depends on overcoming documented purification challenges and optimising microbial cell factories at an industrial scale.
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Lipases are biocatalysts of significant industrial and medical relevance, owing to their ability to hydrolyze lipid substrates and catalyze esterification reactions under mild conditions. This review provides a comprehensive overview of microbial lipases' production, purification, and biochemical properties. It explores optimized fermentation strategies to enhance enzyme yield, including using agro-industrial residues as substrates. The challenges associated with purification techniques such as ultrafiltration, chromatography, and precipitation are discussed, alongside methods to improve enzyme stability and specificity. Additionally, the review addresses the growing importance of genetic engineering approaches for improving lipase characteristics, such as activity, stability, and specificity.Additionally, this review highlights the diverse applications of microbial lipases in industries, including food, pharmaceuticals, biofuels, and cosmetics. The enzyme's role in bioremediation, biodegradation, and the synthesis of bioactive compounds is analyzed, emphasizing its potential in sustainable and eco-friendly technologies. The biocatalytic properties of lipases make them ideal candidates for the green chemistry initiatives in these industries. In the biomedical domain, lipase has shown promise in drug delivery systems, anti-obesity treatments, and diagnostics.This review provides insights into the strategic development of microbes as microbial cell factories for the sustainable production of lipases, paving the way for future research and industrial innovations in enzyme technology.
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DOI: 10.1186/s12934-025-02664-6
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