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Recovery of Rhodococcus biosurfactants using methyl tertiary-butyl ether extraction.
M S Kuyukina1, I B Ivshina, J C Philp
1Institute of Ecology and Genetics of Microorganisms, Ural Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, 12 Golev Street, 614081, Perm, Russia.
Journal of Microbiological Methods
|June 20, 2001
Summary
Methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE) effectively extracts biosurfactants from Rhodococcus bacteria, showing high recovery and efficiency. MTBE is a safe and feasible solvent for industrial biosurfactant production.
Area of Science:
- Biotechnology
- Microbiology
- Chemical Engineering
Background:
- Biosurfactants are amphipathic compounds with diverse applications.
- Traditional biosurfactant extraction methods often employ hazardous solvents.
- Optimizing solvent systems is crucial for efficient and sustainable biosurfactant production.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE) as a novel solvent for extracting biosurfactants.
- To compare MTBE's extraction performance against conventional solvents.
- To assess the characteristics and efficiency of MTBE-extracted biosurfactants.
Main Methods:
- Biosurfactant extraction from Rhodococcus bacterial cultures using MTBE.
- Comparison of MTBE with other established solvent systems.
- Characterization of extracted biosurfactants, including critical micelle concentration (CMC), surface tension, and interfacial tension.
- Analysis of the polar lipid content and the effect of ultrasonic treatment.
Main Results:
- MTBE achieved high crude surfactant recovery (10 g/l) and efficiency (CMC 130-170 mg/l).
- Extracted biosurfactants exhibited favorable surface (29 mN/m) and interfacial (0.9 mN/m) tension reduction.
- The surfactant complex contained 10% polar lipids, primarily glycolipids, with ultrasonic treatment enhancing surfactant efficiency.
- MTBE demonstrated advantageous properties: low toxicity, biodegradability, ease of recovery, and safety.
Conclusions:
- MTBE is a highly effective and efficient solvent for biosurfactant extraction from Rhodococcus.
- The extracted biosurfactants possess desirable functional properties for various applications.
- MTBE's favorable safety and environmental profile makes it suitable for industrial-scale biosurfactant production.