Production of Surface Active Glycolipid by Serratia marcescens NSK-1 Isolated from Petroleum Contaminated Soil

Abstract

Biosurfactant-producing Serratia marcescens NSK-1 strain was isolated from soil contaminated with petroleum products. The organism, when grown in mineral salts medium with sucrose as sole carbon source, produced a surface-active anthrone-positive glycolipid. The biosurfactant was partially purified by liquid-liquid partition chromatography in chloroform-methanol mixture (1:1) and silica gel chromatography. It reduced the surface tension of distilled water from 72 dynes/cm to 40 dynes/cm and exhibited good emulsification activity with some vegetable oils and hydrocarbons. The biosurfactant exhibited stable surface activity over a wide range of temperature (30-100°C), pH (2-12) and salt concentration. There was no significant toxic effect shown by the biosurfactant towards mice when tested using the World Health Organization guidelines.

Production of Lipopeptide Biosurfactant by a Marine Nesterenkonia sp. and Its Application in Food Industry

“…Park et al (2006) reported that LD 50 of surfactin in mice was above 2 g/kg. Biosurfactant produced by Serratia marcescens was administered to the mice orally at the dose of 5 g/kg and no toxic effect was noticed in the mice (Anyanwu et al, 2011). The available reports evidenced that lipopeptide and rhamnolipid biosurfactants in general were non-toxic biomolecules which can be used as food additives.…”

Production, Characterization and Application of a New Biosurfactant Derived from Egyptian Sunflower Seeds

“…The biosurfactant SR 122 solution (0.7% w/v) was adjusted to different pH values (2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11). The activity of the biosurfactant SR 122 was measured at each pH value by using the ODA method.…”

Bioprospects of Coastal Eubacteria

“…These potent surface-active agents contain hydrophobic (unsaturated or saturated fatty acids) and hydrophilic (amino acids or peptides; mono, di or polysaccharides) moieties that reduce surface tension and interfacial tension between individual molecules at the surface and the interface of the immiscible liquids (Makkar et al 2011;Vignesh et al 2011). Biosurfactants thereby expedite the degradation of hydrocarbons by enhancing their diffusion into the bacterial cell via dispersion and/or emulsification (Anyanwu et al 2011). …”