COMPARISON OF LIPOLYTIC ACTIVITY OF Sporothrix schenckii STRAINS UTILIZING OLIVE OIL-RHODAMINE B AND TWEEN 80

Abstract

The aim of this work was to identify the lipase activity of Sporothrix schenckii strains using Rhodamine B as an indicator of triglyceride hydrolysis (triolein from olive oil) and to compare these results with the use of Tween 80 as substrate. Free fatty acids released from lipase activity were detected on agar plate complexed with Rhodamine B, when exposed to UVA light, through orange fluorescence and by precipitation haloes on Tween 80 agar. There were differences in lipolytic activity among strains and between the media utilized. The highest lipase activity (orange fluorescence) was observed on the biomass of 10 strains, with no fluorescent haloes around the colonies, whereas only six strains showed large precipitation haloes. These plate assays are suitable for the detection of lipase-producing strains of S. schenckii in the yeast phase, but it is still unknown whether different enzymes act upon the substrates or whether there are variations of the same enzyme with different specificities.