Skip to main content
Applied Biological Chemistry
Download PDF
  • Original Article/Environmental Sciences
  • Published:

Characteristics of crude oil biodegradation by biosurfactant-producing bacterium Bacillus subtilis JK-1

Journal of the Korean Society for Applied Biological Chemistry volume 56, pages 193–200 (2013)Cite this article

Abstract

The production of biosurfactant by Bacillus subtilis JK-1 was investigated under several conditions. In sea water inoculated with 10% (v/v) of seed culture, the surface tension decreased from 75.0 to 38.4 dyne/cm after 12 h of incubation, which was the highest reduction of surface tension (49%) among the conditions tested. Surface tension further decreased to 31.2 dyne/cm when grown in 1% (v/v) B. subtilis JK-1 inoculated into sea water containing 1% (v/v) crude oil. The decrease of surface tension was similar after 24 h in sea water, sea water containing 1% (v/v) crude oil, and sea water containing 10% (v/v) crude oil using a 10% (v/v) B. subtilis JK-1 inoculum. The biosurfactant produced by B. subtilis JK-1 displayed highest emulsification activity on soybean oil and crude oil. Maximum emulsification stability was obtained from hexane (C6). Using crude oil as a substrate, the emulsification activity of the biosurfactant was much greater than those of chemically synthesized surfactants such as Tween 20 and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). In addition, the bacterial biosurfactant possessed the best emulsification stability when hexane (C6), and hexadecane (C16) were utilized as substrates, as compared to Tween 20, Triton X-100, and SDS. The crude oil in the culture broth was degraded by B. subtilis JK-1, and the C1–C29 carbon chain was almost completely degraded during the 48 h incubation. These results suggest that the biosurfactant of B. subtilis JK-1 is an appropriate candidate for bioremediation of crude oil contaminant.

References

  • Abalos A, Vinas M, Sabate J, Manresa MA, and Solanas AM (2004) Enhanced biodegradation of Casablanca crude oil by a microbial consortium in presence of a rhamnolipid produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa AT10. Biodegradation 15, 249–260.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Abdel-Mawgoud AM, Aboulwafa MM, and Hassouna NA (2008) Characterization of surfactin produced by Bacillus subtilis isolate BS5. Appl Biochem Biotechnol 150, 289–303.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Arima K, Kakinuma A, and Tamura G (1968) Surfactin, a crystalline peptidelipid surfactant produced by Bacillus subtilis: isolation, characterization and its inhibition of fibrin clot formation. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 31, 488–494.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Banat IM, Makkar RS, and Cameotra SS (2000) Potential commercial applications of microbial surfactants. Appl Environ Microbiol 53, 495–508.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Barros FF, Ponezi AN, and Pastore GM (2008) Production of biosurfactant by Bacillus subtilis LB5a on a pilot scale using cassava wastewater as substrate. J Ind Microbiol Biotechnol 35, 1071–1078.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Besson F and Michel G (1992) Biosynthesis of iturin and surfactin by Bacillus subtilis. Evidence for amino acid activating enzymes. Biotechnol Lett 14, 1013–1018.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Brown MJ (1991) Biosurfactants for cosmetic applications. Int J Cosmet Sci 13, 61–64.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cameotra SS and Makkar RS (2004) Recent applications of biosurfactants as biological and immunological molecules. Curr Opin Microbiol 7, 262–266.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cirigliano MC and Carman GM (1984) Isolation of a bioemulsifier from Candida lipolytica. Appl Environ Microbiol 48, 747–750.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cirigliano MC and Carman GM (1985) Purification and characterization of liposan, a bioemulsifier from Candida lipolytica. Appl Environ Microbiol 50, 846–850.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cubitto MA, Moran AC, Commendatore M, Chiarello MN, Baldini MD, and Sineriz F (2004) Effects of Bacillus subtilis O9 biosurfactant on the bioremediation of crude oil-polluted soil. Biodegradation 15, 281–287.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • das Neves LC, de Oliveira KS, Kobayashi MJ, Penna TC, and Converti A (2007) Biosurfactant production by cultivation of Bacillus atrophaeus ATCC 9372 in semidefined glucose/casein-based media. Appl Biochem Biotechnol 137–140, 539–554.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Desai J and Banat I (1997) Microbial production of surfactants and their commercial potential. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev 61, 47–64.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ghojavand H, Vahabzadeh F, Roayaei E, and Shahraki AK (2008) Production and properties of a biosurfactant obtained from a member of the Bacillus subtilis group (PTCC 1696). J Colloid Interface Sci 324, 172–176.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gogotov IN and Miroshnikov AI (2009) The influence of growth medium composition and physicochemical factors on biosurfactant production by the bacterium Bacillus licheniformis VKMB-511. Appl Biochem Microbiol 45, 588–592.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Joo MH and Kim JY (2011) Optimization of medium components for the production of crude biosurfactant by Bacillus subtilis JK-1. J Appl Biol Chem 54, 14–21.

    Google Scholar 

  • Joo MH, Hur SH, Han YS, and Kim JY (2007) Isolation, identification, and characterization of Bacillus strains from the traditional Korean soybeanfermented food, Chungkookjang. J Appl Biol Chem 50, 202–210.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Joshi S, Bharucha C, Jha S, Yadav S, Nerurkar A, and Desai AJ (2008) Biosurfactant production using molasses and whey under thermophilic conditions. Bioresour Technol 99, 195–199.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kim JY (2011) Characteristics of culture conditions for the production of crude biosurfactant by Bacillus subtilis JK-1. J Appl Biol Chem 54, 153–158.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kim SH, Jung YJ, Lee SC, Yu JS, Ju WH, Jung SY et al. (2004) Isolation and characteristics of biosurfactant producing bacterium, Bacillus sp. TBM 911-5. J Life Sci 14, 320–324.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kim SH, Lim EJ, Lee SO, Lee JD, and Lee TH (2000) Purification and characterization of biosurfactants from Nocardia sp. L-417. Biotechnol Appl Biochem 31, 249–253.

    Google Scholar 

  • Maier RM and Soberon-Chavez G (2000) Pseudomonas aeruginosa rhamnolipids: biosynthesis and potential environmental applications. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 54, 625–633.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nitschke M and Costa SGVAO (2007) Biosurfactants in food industry. Trends Food Sci Technol 18, 252–259.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Owsianiak M, Chrzanowski L, Szulc A, Staniewski J, Olszanowski A, Olejnik-Schmidt AK et al. (2009) Biodegradation of diesel/biodiesel blends by a consortium of hydrocarbon degraders: effect of the type of blend and the addition of biosurfactants. Bioresour Technol 100, 1497–1500.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rodrigues L, Banat IM, Teixeira J, and Oliveira R (2006) Biosurfactants: potential applications in medicine. J Antimicrob Chemother 57, 609–618.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rodrigues LR and Teixeira JA (2008) Biosurfactants production from cheese whey. In Advanced in Cheese Whey Utilization, Cerdan ME, Siso MIG, and Becerra M, pp. 81–104, Transworld Research Network, India.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sandrin C, Peypoux F, and Michel G (1990) Coproduction of surfactin and iturin A lipopeptides with surfactant and antifungal properties by Bacillus subtilis. Biotechnol Appl Biochem 12, 370–375.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Satpute SK, Banpurkar AG, Dhakephalkar PK, Banat IM, and Chopade BA (2010) Methods for investigating biosurfactants and bioemulsifiers: a review. Crit Rev Biotechnol 30, 127–144.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sekhon KK, Khanna S, and Cameotra SS (2012) Biosurfactant production and potential correlation with esterase activity. J Pet Environ Biotechnol 3, 133–142.

    Google Scholar 

  • Singh P and Cameotra SS (2004) Potential application of microbial surfactants in biomedical science. Trends Biotechnol 22, 142–146.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Singh S, Kang SH, Mulchandani A, and Chen W (2008) Bioremediation: environmental clean-up through pathway engineering. Curr Opin Biotechnol 19, 437–444.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sousa M, Melo VMM, Rodrigues S, Santana HB, and Gonçalves LRB (2012) Screening of biosurfactant-producing Bacillus strains using glycerol from the biodiesel synthesis as main carbon source. Bioprocess Biosyst Eng 35, 897–906.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Thavasi R, Jayalakshmi S, Balasubramanian T, and Banat IM (2008) Production and characterization of a glycolipid biosurfactant from Bacillus megaterium using economically cheaper sources. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 24, 917–925.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Thavasi R, Jayalakshmi S, and Banat IM (2011) Effect of biosurfactant and fertilizer on biodegradation of crude oil by marine isolates of Bacillus megaterium, Corynebacterium kutscheri and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Bioresour Technol 102, 772–778.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • US Environmental Protection Agency (1993) Bioremediation: Innovative Pollution and Treatment Technology: a Focus on EPA’s Research, Centre for Environmental Research, OH, US.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zajic JE and Seffens W (1984) Biosurfactants. CRC critical reviews in biotechnology. Boca Raton 1, 87–107.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate School of Molecular and Biomedical Technology, Inje University, Gimhae, 621-749, Republic of Korea

    Myeong Hoon Joo

  2. College of General Education, Inje University, Gimhae, 621-749, Republic of Korea

    Ji Yeon Kim

Authors
  1. Myeong Hoon Joo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Ji Yeon Kim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ji Yeon Kim.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Joo, M.H., Kim, J.Y. Characteristics of crude oil biodegradation by biosurfactant-producing bacterium Bacillus subtilis JK-1. J Korean Soc Appl Biol Chem 56, 193–200 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13765-012-3269-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13765-012-3269-9

Keywords