Screening, Gene Sequencing and Biosurfactant Production from Pichia Fermentans Isolated From Dairy Effluents

Abstract

Microbial surfactants are surface metabolites that produced by bacteria, yeast, and fungi having varied chemical structure and properties. These molecules reduce surface tension between aqueous solutions and hydrocarbon mixtures. Recently biosurfactants are potential alternatives for chemically synthesized surfactants having varied industrial applications. In this study, we collected fermented dairy whey waste samples from a small dairy farm house located in Salem and Coimbatore and a total of fifty yeast strains were isolated, screened for biosurfactant activity, and cultured by enriching carbon and nitrogen sources. These were conducted using oil displacement technique, drop collapse method, microplate assay method, and emulsification activity determination (EA). Among fifty isolates, SS2 yeast strains exhibited positive for biosurfactant activity. . The yeast strain SS2 exhibited an oil clearance diameter of 12 mm with an interpolated surfactant concentration of 2.77 micrograms and measured an emulsification index is 61.42 with a height of emulsion 17.2 mm after 120 hours. Biochemical analysis and molecular characterization with 18S rRNA gene sequence indicates that yeast strain SS2 belongs to Pichia species and closely related to Pichia fermentans. Studies of biosurfactant production on various carbon and nitrogen sources were performed. The communication looks at the future perspective of biosurfactant production and its application in the healthcare and pharmaceutical sector.