A comparative study of utilization of single and mixed phenolic compounds by individual and mixed culture

Three bacterial strains; Pseudomonas sp. TRMK1, Stenotrophomonas sp. TRMK2 and Xanthomonas sp. TRMK3 were isolated from agro-industrial waste by enrichment culture technique that are capable of utilizing phenolic acids as sole source of carbon and energy. These strains were found to utilize p-coumaric, ferulic and caffeic acid. The individual strains utilized 5 mM of mixed phenolic acids within 20 h of incubation. The bacterial consortium composing these strains was prepared and studied the efficient degradation of phenolic compounds. The bacterial consortium showed the enhanced utilization of 30 mM individual and 25 mM mixed phenolic acids within 32 and 40 h of incubation, respectively. The degradation efficiency of these strains in all the above experiments was above 90%. The prepared bacterial consortium serves as a suitable method for the in situ application of sites contaminated with wide range of phenolic compounds.