Isolation, Screening and molecular characterization of bio surfactant producing microbes from hydrocarbon polluted soil

Abstract

Biosurfactants are ampliphlic compounds which can reduce the surface and interfacial tension between the compounds and have multiuses in various industries and agriculture. The isolated lipopeptides and lipoprotein producing microbes are useful in removal of heavy metals from industrial effluents using bioremediation, pesticides and hydrocarbon contaminated sites. Lipopeptides and lipoproteins used as bio-control agent to protect plant against different diseases, leads in increases crop yield. The objective was to isolate potential bio surfactant producing microbes from hydrocarbons contaminated soil. Initially 21 microbes were isolated amidst them ten bio surfactant producers were screened based on the surface tension, emulsification index, drop collapse method and oil displacement method. The isolate KLEF21 was the most successful bio surfactant producer as it showed the minimum surface tension (32.12 dyne/cm) with an emulsification index of 68.97% and oil displacement activity 3.5 mm. The microbe was identified based on the partial sequence of 16S rRNA and it belongs to Alcaligenes and was indicated as Alcaligenes sp.KLEF21.The stain was also competent of employ polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon composed of three fused benzene rings as the highest microbes biomass was produced by this strain in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon alter MSM media compared to other isolates.