Isolation and characterization of a microorganism that produces biosurfactants in corn steep water

Abstract

In this work a Bacillus strain with capacity to produce biosurfactants was isolated from commercial corn steep water (CSW). The identification of this bacterium was based on phenotypic characteristics. This is a Gram-positive Bacillus, macroscopically catalase-negative, that possesses high mobility and forms terminal endospore. The colonies formed by the isolated Bacillus strain are characterized by a creaming, dull and glistening phenotype with a small point-like elevation in the center. Regarding its antimicrobial activity, the isolated Bacillus strain was effective against Candida albicans and Staphylococcus aureus observing, in the presence of pathogenic strains, a phenotype dissociation, switching the colonies from a whitish to yellowish pigmentation. The isolated microorganism, contrarily to other Bacillus strains, has the ability to produce extracellular and cell-bound biosurfactants. The analyses revealed that both biosurfactant extracts are similar to the lipopeptide biosurfactant produced by Bacillus subtilis.