Nine isolates of Botryosphaeria spp. were screened for lipases when cultivated on eight different plant seed oils and glycerol, and all produced lipases Botryosphaeria ribis EC-01 produced highest lipase litres on soybean oil and glycerol, while eight isolates of Botryosphaeria rhodina produced significantly lower enzyme tares. B ribis EC-01 produced lipase when grown on different fatty acids. surfactants, carbohydrates and triacylglycerols, with highest enzyme titres produced on Triton X-100-emulsified stearic (3167 U/mL), palmitic (283.5 U/mL) and oleic (247.4 U/mg) acids, and soybean oil (105 6U/mL), as well as castor oil (191.2 U/mg); an enhancement of 9-fold over soybean oil-grown cultures. Glycerol was also a good substrate for lipase production. The crude lipase extract was optimally active at pH 8.0 and 55 C, stable between 30 and 55 C and pH 1-10, and tolerant to 50%(v/v) glycerol, methanol and ethanol. The crude lipase showed affinity for substrates of short, average and long-chain fatty acids (different esters of p-nitrophenol and triacylglycerols). Zymograms developed with 4-methylumbelliferyl-butyrate showed two bands of lipolytic activity at 45 and 15 kDa. This is the first report on the production of lipases by B. ribis grown on these different carbon sources. (C) 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.