Candida lipolytica UCP0988 Biosurfactant: Potential as a Bioremediation Agent and in Formulating a Commercial Related Product

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to investigate the potential application of the biosurfactant from Candida lipolytica grown in low-cost substrates, which has previously been produced and characterized under optimized conditions as an adjunct material to enhance the remediation processes of hydrophobic pollutants and heavy metals generated by the oil industry and propose the formulation of a safe and stable remediation agent. In tests carried out with seawater, the crude biosurfactant demonstrated 80% oil spreading efficiency. The dispersion rate was 50% for the biosurfactant at a concentration twice that of the CMC. The biosurfactant removed 70% of motor oil from contaminated cotton cloth in detergency tests. The crude biosurfactant also removed 30-40% of Cu and Pb from standard sand, while the isolated biosurfactant removed ∼30% of the heavy metals. The conductivity of solutions containing Cd and Pb was sharply reduced after biosurfactants' addition. A product was prepared through adding 0.2% potassium sorbate as preservative and tested over 120 days. The formulated biosurfactant was analyzed for emulsification and surface tension under different pH values, temperatures, and salt concentrations and tested for toxicity against the fish Poecilia vivipara. The results showed that the formulation had no toxicity and did not cause significant changes in the tensoactive capacity of the biomolecule while maintaining activity demonstrating suitability for potential future commercial product formulation.

Eco-Friendly Bioemulsifier Production by Mucor circinelloides UCP0001 Isolated from Mangrove Sediments Using Renewable Substrates for Environmental Applications

“…Ionic surfactants are very sensitive to electrolytes, this phenomenon occurs because electrolytes directly affect some functional groups of the molecule, consequently decreasing the emulsification index [28]. These results were superior to studies also within 120 days for stability of emulsions formed with Candida lipolytica biosurfactant UCP0988 [29]. The data obtained in this analysis corroborate the thermostable bioemulsifier of Acinetobacter bouvetii UAM25 [3] and the bioemulsifier produced by Bacillus spp.…”

“…Toxicity can be defined as the ability of a substance to have a detrimental effect on a living organism, moreover, it depends on the concentration and properties of the chemical to which the organism is exposed and the exposure time [29,31]. Toxicity testing using the micro-crustacean A. salina as a bioindicator was performed as a suitable model organism and widely used in acute toxicity studies, and is very sensitive to surfactants [32,33].…”

Improved biosurfactant production from Aspergillus niger through chemical mutagenesis: characterization and RSM optimization

“…Surfactant display properties like foaming, emulsification, detergency and dispersion [11][12][13]. Microorganisms have ability to produce different kinds of surfactants, from these, high molecular weight polymers are highly efficient emulsifiers [14,15], while low molecular weight polymers efficiently reduce interfacial and surface tension of liquids [16].…”

Screening De Espécies Produtoras De Biossurfactante Avaliando Diferentes Substratos Para Aplicação Na Descontaminação Ambiental

“…Desastres por derramamento de óleos são cada vez mais frequentes, sendo necessário apresentar soluções para minimizar os impactos causados no meio ambiente (Santos et al, 2017). Particularmente, a poluição causada pelo petróleo é bastante tóxica para os animais marinhos e para as aves migratórias, além de prejudicar a população que vive no litoral das áreas atingidas (Freitas et al, 2016).…”

“…Surfactantes constituem uma classe de compostos químicos importantes e que são muito utilizados em diversos setores industriais, destacando-se pela utilização para remoção de poluentes oleosos. Entretanto, a preocupação ambiental com o uso de produtos com padrões ecologicamente corretos vem aumentando, dessa maneira, é necessária a procura por surfactantes de origem natural, sendo estes denominados de biossurfactantes (Almeida et al, 2017).…”