Journal of Environmental Biology

Characterization of biosurfactants from indigenous soil bacteria recovered from oil contaminated sites

Govind Kumar¹*, Rajesh Kumar² and Anita Sharma¹

¹Department of Microbiology, College of Basic Science and Humanities, G.B.P.U.A.T, Pantnagar-263 145, India

²Department of Environmental Microbiology, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow-226 025, India

*Corresponding Author E-mail: govind34093@gmail.com

Publication Data

Paper received:

14 April 2014

Revised received:

19 October 2014

Accepted:

28 November 2014

Abstract

Three bacterial isolates (G1, G2 and G3) characterized as Pseudomonas plecoglossicida, Lysinibacillus fusiformis and Bacillus safensis were recovered from contaminated soil of oil refinery. These bacterial isolates produced biosurfactants in MSM medium in stationary phase. Biosurfactants were characterized on the basis of their emulsifying properties with petrol, diesel, mobil oil and petrol engine oil. Reduction in surface tension (below 40 mN m^-1) and blood hemolysis were also included in biosurfactants characterization. Emulsification indices of G1, G2 and G3 were in the range of 98.82, 23.53 and 58.82 for petrol; 29.411, 1.05 and 70.588 for diesel; 35.31, 2.93 and 17.60 for mobil oil and 35.284, 58.82 and 17.647 for petrol engine oil respectively. Dry weight of the extracted biosurfactant was 4.6, 1.4 and 2.4 g l^-1 for G1, G2 and G3 respectively. Structural analysis of the biosurfactants by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) revealed significant differences in the bonding pattern of individual biosurfactant.    

 Key words

Biosurfactants, Emulsification index, FTIR, Surface tension

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