Bioemulsification activity assessment of an indigenous strain of halotolerant Planococcus and partial characterization of produced biosurfactants

Halotolerant bacteria are regarded as effective oil-scavengers in the polluted saltern and seawater. In this regard, a halotolerant Planococcus was isolated from oilcontaminated area of Dezful north springs, Iran, due to its capacity in biosurfactant (BS) production. To facilitate hydrocarbons degradation, in the current study, the efficiency of BS production as function of growth rate of the halotolerant Planococcus was investigated in the vicinity of heavy crude oil by emulsification index (E24). Subsequently, the BS characterization was made by thin-layer chromatography (TLC), gas chromatography (GC) and infrared spectra analysis, and the stability was determined by E24 value measurement over a certain pH (5–9), temperature (20–100 C) and salt concentration (0–10 % w/v) ranges. The BS production was found to be growth-associated. Detection of a unique band on TLC and GC chromatogram showed the extensive refining capacity of the BS purification, using the medium supernatant under acetone alkaline precipitation followed by oil dissolution from the sediment by carbon tetrachloride. Accordingly, it was clarified that the BS ultimately accumulated outside the cells. The glycolipid quality of the BS was further determined by the routine chemical characterization on TLC and by IR spectra analysis. Moreover, there was no protein detected by lowery total protein assay. Finally, the optimal temperature, pH and NaCl concentration to reach highest E24 values (85.7, 77.0, and 79.0 %) were found at respective 40 C, pH = 9 and 0 % w/v. Our results revealed the practically potential of strain Dezful Isolate for BS large-scale production as environmentally friendly oil-eliminating agents.