Abstract

PRODUCTION & CHARACTERIZATION OF BIOEMULSIFIER BY AN INDIGENOUS SPECIES OF STREPTOMYCES RUBIGINOSUS AOBR5 ISOLATED FROM RHIZOSPHERE OF MEDICINAL PLANT ‘OCIMUM SANCTUM’

*Deepak K Rahi, BhriguNadda and Deepika Malik.

ABSTRACT

Actinomycetes also known as „actinobacteria‟ and „ray fungi‟ have enormous potential to produce different types of metabolites of human significance, bioemulsifier is one among them. In present investigation an attempt has been made to screen out the bioemulsifier producing potential of indigenous actinomycetes of medicinal plants of rhizospheric origin. The study resulted in isolation of a total of seven isolates which were screened out for their potential of producing bioemulsifier. Out of seven isolates, the isolate no. AOBR5 which was identified as Streptomyces rubiginosuswas found as the best bioemulsifier producing isolate with the maximum emulsification activity of 39.4±0.4 EA% with sesame oil and 38.4±0.5 EA% with xylene (hydrocarbon) and therefore selected for further studies. The production of bioemulsifier was also enhanced by optimizing various physical and biochemical parameters affecting the growth of the selected culture. Optimization of physical parameters revealed maltose yeast extract broth as the best production medium, 6 days as the best incubation period, 30±1°C and 7 as the best incubation temperature and pH respectively. And 160 rpm as the best agitation speed. Maltose and yeast extract was found as the best source of carbon and nitrogen respectively among biochemical parameters. The bioemulsifier was further characterized for various parameters including organoleptic and biochemical properties, solubility, surface tension, CMC, SEM, FTIR and elemental analysis.

Keywords: Bioemulsifier, Indigenous, Streptomyces rubiginosus, Rhizosphere, Medicinal Plants.