Screening of Biosurfactant Producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa from Petroleum Contaminated Sites of Akola City

Biosurfactants are amphiphilic compounds produced on living cell surfaces mostly microbial cell surfaces or excreted extracellularly, and contain hydrophobic and hydrophilic moieties that reduce the surface tension. Biosurfactants have wide application in microbial enhanced oil recovery, agriculture, lower toxicity, higher biodegradability, pharmaceuticals and therapeutics. Total eight biosurfactant producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa were isolated from petroleum contaminated sites. The biosurfactant properties of these isolates were further confirmed by haemolysis test and measurement of surface tension by using Troub's stalagnometer. The initial surface tension of medium was found to be 70 dynes/cm. The reduction of surface tension of medium was studied using enriched inorganic salt medium with 0.03 % of glucose and paraffin as a sole source of carbon. The lowest surface tension of medium was found to be 38.50 dyne/cm.