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Biosurfactant Production by Azotobacter chroococcum Isolated from the Marine Environment

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Abstract

Preliminary characterization of a biosurfactant-producing Azotobacter chroococcum isolated from marine environment showed maximum biomass and biosurfactant production at 120 and 132 h, respectively, at pH 8.0, 38°C, and 30‰ salinity utilizing a 2% carbon substrate. It grew and produced biosurfactant on crude oil, waste motor lubricant oil, and peanut oil cake. Peanut oil cake gave the highest biosurfactant production (4.6 mg/mL) under fermentation conditions. The biosurfactant product emulsified waste motor lubricant oil, crude oil, diesel, kerosene, naphthalene, anthracene, and xylene. Preliminary characterization of the biosurfactant using biochemical, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and mass spectral analysis indicated that the biosurfactant was a lipopeptide with percentage lipid and protein proportion of 31.3:68.7.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the authorities of Annamalai University for providing the facilities and DOD and CSIR, Government of India for financial support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical and Biological Sciences, Polytechnic Institute of New York University, Six Metrotech Center, Brooklyn, NY, 11201, USA

    R. Thavasi

  2. CAS in Marine Biology, Annamalai University, Parangipettai, 608 502, Tamil Nadu, India

    V. R. M. Subramanyam Nambaru, S. Jayalakshmi & T. Balasubramanian

  3. School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Ulster, Coleraine, BT52 1SA, Northern Ireland, UK

    Ibrahim M. Banat

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  1. R. Thavasi
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  2. V. R. M. Subramanyam Nambaru
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  3. S. Jayalakshmi
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  4. T. Balasubramanian
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  5. Ibrahim M. Banat
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Correspondence to R. Thavasi.

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Thavasi, R., Subramanyam Nambaru, V.R.M., Jayalakshmi, S. et al. Biosurfactant Production by Azotobacter chroococcum Isolated from the Marine Environment. Mar Biotechnol 11, 551–556 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10126-008-9162-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10126-008-9162-1

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