Purification of lipase from latex of Euphorbia characias by an extraction method with apolar solvent

: A lipase from the latex of Euphorbia characias was purified using a new method involving extraction by apolar solvent and adsorption chromatography on silica. The lipase (specific activity 1,500 IU/mg of protein) was eluted from silica complexed with a lipid. The main proteic fraction, showing a molecular weight of 38,000, was inactive when dissociated from the lipid fraction. It was necessary to reassociate the lipid and proteic fractions for 72% of the lipolytic activity to be recovered.