Chanika Saenge Chooklin, Sirirat Phertmean, Benjamas Cheirsilp, Suppasil Maneerat, and Suppasil Maneerat

pp. 169 - 176

Abstract

This paper introduces palm oil mill effluent as a promising substrate for biosurfactant production. Potential strains of
bacteria were isolated from various hydrocarbon-contaminated soils and screened for biosurfactant production with the help
of the drop collapse method and surface tension measurements. Out of 26 isolates of bacteria, the strain NA3 showed the
highest bacterial growth with the highest surface tension reduction of 27.2 mN/m. It was then identified as Nevskia ramosa
NA3 by biochemical and 16S rRNA sequence analysis. The Plackett-Burman experimental design was employed to determine
the important nutritional requirements for biosurfactant production by N. ramosa NA3 under controlled conditions. Six out
of 11 factors of the production medium were found to significantly affect the production of biosurfactant. FeCl₂
 and NaNO₃
had a direct proportional correlation with the biosurfactant production. Commercial sugar, glucose, K₂HPO₄
 and MgCl₂
showed inversely proportional relationship with biosurfactant production in the selected experimental range.