Effects of lateral agitation on the yield of biosurfactants produced by environmental strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Abstract
The use of renewable carbon and energy sources and the elimination of specific culture conditions such as agitation can help lower the overall cost of biosurfactant production. The impact of two carbon sources (glycerin and olive oil) and lateral agitation (with and without) on biosurfactant yield in Pseudomonas strains isolated from soil and water was examined. Oil-drop technique and drop-collapse test were used to screen the candidates. The biosurfactant production was monitored by calculating the isolates' Emulsification Index (E24) (at p<0.05 at 95% confidence level) on various hydrophobic substrates. Eighty per cent (80%) of the data were significantly different, with 37.92% showing a comparatively high E24 value for biosurfactants produced under lateral agitation and 62.08% showing a comparatively high E24 value for cell culture cultivated without agitation. The structural identification of rhamnolipid biosurfactants from Pseudomonas sp. revealed 3-5 types of congeners with variable concentrations. Without agitating the growth media, a large quantity of biosurfactants can be produced.
