Biosurfactant production by a new Pseudomonas putida strain

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Biotechnology
• Surface Chemistry

Background:

• Biosurfactants are surface-active compounds produced by microorganisms.
• Pseudomonas species are known producers of biosurfactants, particularly rhamnolipids.
• The isolation of novel microbial strains capable of biosurfactant production is of significant interest.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and characterize biosurfactants produced by a newly isolated strain of Pseudomonas putida 21BN.
• To evaluate the tensio-active and emulsifying properties of the produced biosurfactants.
• To assess the potential of Pseudomonas putida 21BN as a producer of industrially relevant biosurfactants.

Main Methods:

• Isolation and identification of the microbial strain Pseudomonas putida 21BN.
• Cultivation of the strain on different carbon sources (glucose, hexadecane).
• Measurement of surface tension and emulsifying activity of the produced biosurfactants.

Main Results:

• Pseudomonas putida 21BN was confirmed to produce biosurfactants with significant tensio-active and emulsifying activities.
• The biosurfactants were identified as rhamnolipids.
• Biosurfactant production reached 1.2 g/L when grown on hexadecane.
• The rhamnolipids lowered the medium's surface tension to 29 mN/m and showed 69% emulsifying activity when grown on hexadecane.

Conclusions:

• The newly isolated Pseudomonas putida 21BN is a promising strain for rhamnolipid biosurfactant production.
• The produced rhamnolipids possess strong surface-active and emulsifying properties, suitable for industrial applications.
• Hexadecane serves as an effective substrate for high-yield rhamnolipid production by this strain.