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Comparative approach for detection of biosurfactant-producing bacteria isolated from Ahvaz petroleum excavation areas in south of Iran

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Abstract

The current study was undertaken to compare four analytical methods including drop collapse, oil spreading, surface tension (SFT) measurements, and blood agar lysis tests for detection of biosurfactant-producing bacteria. Among 32 biosurfactant-producing bacteria isolated from Ahvaz oil fields, in south of Iran, 16 isolates (50%) exhibited highest biosurfactant production. Eleven isolates (MASH.1 to MASH.11) demonstrated a reduction in surface tension from 65 mN/m to less than 41 mN/m. The results showed that about 91% of these highly biosurfactant producers had the same response levels of “++++” and “+++” in the case of both SFT and oil spreading methods. Among these, seven isolates had the haemolysis diameter less than 1 cm or between 1 and 2 cm on blood agar. As 64% of the best biosurfactant producers did not completely lyses blood, the ability of biosurfactant-producers for haemolysis may not always be trustworthy. According to our data, there is a good consistency between oil spreading technique and surface tension. As a conclusion, oil spreading method is the fastest, simplest and most consistent analytical method to be suggested for accurate measurements of biosurfactant producers.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Iran

    Shima Afshar, Tayebe Bagheri Lotfabad & Reza Roostaazad

  2. Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Iran

    Abdolhossein Rouholamini Najafabadi

  3. National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (NIGEB), Karaj-Tehran highway, Pazhoesh Blvd., P.O. Box, 14155-6343, Tehran, Iran

    Kambiz Akbari Noghabi

Authors
  1. Shima Afshar
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  2. Tayebe Bagheri Lotfabad
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  3. Reza Roostaazad
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  4. Abdolhossein Rouholamini Najafabadi
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  5. Kambiz Akbari Noghabi
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Correspondence to Kambiz Akbari Noghabi.

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Both authors contributed equally to this work.

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Afshar, S., Lotfabad, T.B., Roostaazad, R. et al. Comparative approach for detection of biosurfactant-producing bacteria isolated from Ahvaz petroleum excavation areas in south of Iran. Ann. Microbiol. 58, 555–559 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03175557

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03175557

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