Application of lipase treatment on carotenoids extraction from Chili (Capsicum annuum L.)

Abstract

Five strains of lipase-producing bacteria were selected and determined for enzyme activity. As well as, the
potential of enzymatic extraction on carotenoids from dried chili was also investigated. Among five strains,
Bacillus subtilis yielded the highest lipase activity (25.5±0.2 U/ml) within 60 days of cultivation followed by
Candida tropicalis (19.1±0.3 U/ml), Candida albicans (10.6±0.2 U/ml), Bacillus stearothermophilis (14.1±0.0 U/ml)
and Bacillus sphaericus (0.6±0.2 U/ml). Lipase from B. subtilis and C. tropicalis were applied for carotenoids
extraction from chili samples (Capsicum annuum L.). During the experiments, the chili was cut, dried with freeze
dryer and characterized. The chili sample dried with freeze-drying method had a final moisture content and fat
content at 4.05±0.19% and 6.62±0.11%, respectively. The chili powder was applied for pigment extraction using
enzyme and solvent extraction. The highest carotenoids content (6.26 g of total carotenoids/ kg of powder) was
obtained from dried chili extracted with lipase from B. subtilis at lipase concentration of 25 U/ml. In particular,
extraction with lipase from B. subtilis, yielded an increase of 1.56 folds for carotenoids content as compared to
control.