Production of surface-active sophorolipid biosurfactant and crude oil degradability by novel Rhodotorula mucilaginosa strain SKF2

Biosurfactants are produced by important types of microorganisms such as bacteria, yeast, and filamentous fungi and have been used in a variety of industries. Among the 15 crude oil-degrading fungi, the two molds and one yeast were identified by 18S rDNA sequences as Mucor circinelloides strain SKMC, Fusarium fujikuroi strain DB2, and Rhodotorula mucilaginosa strain SKF2. These strains were isolated from crude oil–contaminated soil, diesel oil–contaminated soil, and activated sludge in the Oil Refinery Plant in Isfahan, Iran, respectively. The yeast strain was identified as a novel crude oil–degrading and biosurfactant-producing fungi in the presence of (1% v/v) Iranian light crude oil in the minimal salt medium (MSM). The highest amount of the dry weight of produced biosurfactant was measured at 6.2 g L⁻¹. Chemical nature of produced biosurfactant was determined as a surface-active sophorolipid biosurfactant compound by thin-layer chromatography, Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy, and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) analysis. The residual hydrocarbons in the MSM were analyzed by GC–MS, and it was shown that octadecane and docosane were eliminated by this novel strain completely.     

Biosurfactant-and-Bioemulsifier Produced by a Promising Cunninghamella echinulata Isolated from Caatinga Soil in the Northeast of Brazil

A Mucoralean fungus was isolated from Caatinga soil of Pernambuco, Northeast of Brazil, and was identified as Cunninghamella echinulata by morphological, physiological, and biochemical tests. This strain was evaluated for biosurfactant/bioemulsifier production using soybean oil waste (SOW) and corn steep liquor (CSL) as substrates, added to basic saline solution, by measuring surface tension and emulsifier index and activity. The best results showed the surface water tension was reduced from 72 to 36 mN/m, and an emulsification index (E₂₄) of 80% was obtained using engine oil and burnt engine oil, respectively. A new molecule of biosurfactant showed an anionic charge and a polymeric chemical composition consisting of lipids (40.0% w/w), carbohydrates (35.2% w/w) and protein (20.3% w/w). In addition, the biosurfactant solution (1%) demonstrated its ability for an oil displacement area (ODA) of 37.36 cm², which is quite similar to that for Triton X-100 (38.46 cm²). The stability of the reduction in the surface water tension as well as of the emulsifier index proved to be stable over a wide range of temperatures, in pH, and in salt concentration (4%–6% w/v). The biosurfactant showed an ability to reduce and increase the viscosity of hydrophobic substrates and their molecules, suggesting that it is a suitable candidate for mediated enhanced oil recovery. At the same time, these studies indicate that renewable, relatively inexpensive and easily available resources can be used for important biotechnological processes.     

生物表面活性剂及其在土壤重金属修复中的研究进展

介绍了生物表面活性剂制取、种类和性能.叙述了其在土壤重金属修复方面的作用机理和应用情况.提出了在该领域中有待解决的问题并作出了展望.     

月桂醛和琥珀酸酐接枝改性天然胶原所得产物的表面活性

以月桂醛与琥珀酸酐接枝改性具有三股螺旋结构的天然胶原,得到了一种保留了天然胶原结构的生物表面活性剂(胶原基生物表面活性剂,简称BCB)。研究了BCB的基本表面活性,结果表明,BCB具有较好的泡沫膨胀和泡沫稳定性,其乳化活性(284.08 m2/g)与天然胶原(32.23 m2/g)相比有显著的提高,乳化稳定性和吸油能力也有所提升。BCB的润湿能力随着其浓度的增加而提高,表面张力随存放时间的延长而降低,在质量浓度为5.0×10-3g/L时,表面张力在3 000 s时达到平衡,为52.58 m N/m。研究表明,BCB和天然胶原的乳液类型均为O/W型。     

Performance evaluation of batch and unsteady state fed‐batch reactor operations for the production of a marine microbial surfactant

BACKGROUND: Biosurfactants are microbially derived surface‐active and amphipathic molecules produced by various microorganisms. These versatile biomolecules can find potential applications in food, cosmetics, petroleum recovery and biopharmaceutical industries. However, their commercial use is impeded by low yields and productivities in fermentation processes. Thus, an attempt was made to enhance product yield and process productivity by designing a fed‐batch mode reactor strategy. RESULTS: Biosurfactant (BS) production by a marine bacterium was performed in batch and fed‐batch modes of reactor operation in a 3.7 L fermenter. BS concentration of 4.61 ± 0.07 g L^?1 was achieved in batch mode after 22 h with minimum power input of 33.87 × 10³ W, resulting in maximum mixing efficiency. The volumetric oxygen flow rate (K_La) of the marine culture was about 0.08 s^?1. BS production was growth‐associated, as evident from fitting growth kinetics data into the Luedeking‐Piret model. An unsteady state fed batch (USFB) strategy was employed to enhance BS production. Glucose feeding was done at different flow rates ranging from 3.7 mL min^?1 (USFB‐I) to 10 mL min^?1 (USFB‐II). USFB‐I strategy resulted in a maximum biosurfactant yield of 6.2 g l^?1 with an increment of 35% of batch data. The kinetic parameters of USFB‐I were better than those from batch and USFB‐II. CONCLUSION: Comparative performance evaluation of batch and semi‐continuous reactor operations was accomplished. USFB‐I operation improved biosurfactant production by about 35% over batch mode. USFB‐I strategy was more kinetically favorable than batch and USFB‐II. © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry     

Performance evaluation of an ANN–GA aided experimental modeling and optimization procedure for enhanced synthesis of marine biosurfactant in a stirred tank reactor

BACKGROUND: An improved resilient back‐propagation neural network modeling coupled with genetic algorithm aided optimization technique was employed for optimizing the process variables to maximize lipopeptide biosurfactant production by marine Bacillus circulans. RESULTS: An artificial neural network (ANN) was used to develop a non‐linear model based on a 2⁴ full factorial central composite design involving four independent parameters, agitation, aeration, temperature and pH with biosurfactant concentration as the process output. The polynomial model was optimized to maximize lipopeptide biosurfactants concentration using a genetic algorithm (GA). The ranges and levels of these critical process parameters were determined through single‐factor‐at‐a‐time experimental strategy. Improved ANN‐GA modeling and optimization were performed using MATLAB v.7.6 and the experimental design was obtained using Design Expert v.7.0. The ANN model was developed using the advanced neural network architecture called resilient back‐propagation algorithm. CONCLUSION: Process optimization for maximum production of marine microbial surfactant involving ANN‐GA aided experimental modeling and optimization was successfully carried out as the predicted optimal conditions were well validated by performing actual fermentation experiments. Approximately 52% enhancement in biosurfactant concentration was achieved using the above‐mentioned optimization strategy. © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry     

Lipopeptides in cosmetics

Lipopeptides are biosurfactants extensively used in cosmetics. The consumption of cosmetics containing lipopeptides is increasing as a result of the exceptional surface properties and diverse biological activities of lipopeptides which facilitate a vast number of applications not only in the pharmaceutics industry which includes cosmetics but also in the food industry. Cosmetics containing lipopeptides are available in various dosage forms according to their beneficial surface properties, which include anti-wrinkle and moisturizing activities and cleansing cosmetics. The microbial production of lipopeptides particularly those with biological and surface activities applicable to cosmetics are summarized based on appropriate studies and patents up to the year 2008 to manage the information and sufficiently review the data.     

The Utilization of Lipid Waste for Biosurfactant Production and Its Application in Enhancing Oil Recovery

Abstract

In this article, biosurfactant production from low-cost and renewable substrate and its application in petroleum industry were studied. Pseudomonas aeruginosa DG30 grew on used vegetable oil and accumulated 15.56 g/L of biosurfactant at 72 hr. The biosurfactant exhibited excellent surface activity and stability. Sand package tests showed an approximately 20% increase of oil recovery by the treatment of bacterial culture broth. Single-well stimulation tests were conducted in a heavy oil reservoir in Dagang Oilfield, Tianjin, China. The blockages in the wellbore areas were removed effectively and more than 616 tons of crude oil was enhanced.     

Identification of the gene PaEMT1 for biosynthesis of mannosylerythritol lipids in the basidiomycetous yeast Pseudozyma antarctica

The yeast Pseudozyma antarctica produces a large amount of glycolipid biosurfactants known as mannosylerythritol lipids (MELs), which show not only excellent surface‐active properties but also versatile biochemical actions. To investigate the biosynthesis of MELs in the yeast, we recently reported expressed sequence tag (EST) analysis and estimated genes expressing under MEL production conditions. Among the genes, a contiguous sequence of 938 bp, PA_004, showed high sequence identity to the gene emt1, encoding an erythritol/mannose transferase of Ustilago maydis, which is essential for MEL biosynthesis. The predicted translation product of the extended PA_004 containing the two introns and a stop codon was aligned with Emt1 of U. maydis. The predicted amino acid sequence shared high identity (72%) with Emt1 of U. maydis, although the amino‐terminal was incomplete. To identify the gene as PaEMT1 encoding an erythritol/mannose transferase of P. antarctica, the gene‐disrupted strain was developed by the method for targeted gene disruption, using hygromycin B resistance as the selection marker. The obtained ΔPaEMT1 strain failed to produce MELs, while its growth was the same as that of the parental strain. The additional mannosylerythritol into culture allowed ΔPaEMT1 strain to form MELs regardless of the carbon source supplied, indicating a defect of the erythritol/mannose transferase activity. Furthermore, we found that MEL formation is associated with the morphology and low‐temperature tolerance of the yeast. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

高温高压条件下微生物驱油微观机理研究

采用微观透明可视仿真刻蚀储层模型,研究了3株产表面活性剂较多的好氧菌W18、DM-2和SH-1,2株产生物气较多的厌氧菌L1、4F,在高温高压条件下(65℃,10 MPa)驱油时形成的残余油状态,结合大量微观照相图讨论了驱油机理。5株菌在高温高压油藏中均能存活,驱油性能较好。生物气驱机理包括:气驱,气液界面滑动,原油膨胀降黏,气泡贾敏效应扩大水驱波及体积及气体进入盲端驱油。生物表面活性剂驱油机理包括:乳化分散剩余油,降低油水界面张力,剥离油膜。微生物降解原油也是驱油机理之一。图28表1参4。