NOVEL EXOPOLYSACCHARIDE PRODUCED BY Acinetobacter bouvetii UAM25: PRODUCTION, CHARACTERIZATION AND PAHs BIOEMULSIFYING CAPABILITY

 

J.L. Vázquez-Vázquez, N.D. Ortega-de la Rosa, S. Huerta-Ochoa, M. Gimeno, M. Gutiérrez-Rojas

 

 

Environmental pollution that polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) cause, results in ecological damage. Bioremediation tackles this issue by using living organisms and metabolites such as bioemulsifiers (BEs) which can pseudo-solubilise hydrocarbons making them more accessible for biodegradation. The aims of this work were (i) to produce in an airlift bioreactor a novel BE through the UAM25 strain, (ii) to evaluate the BE emulsifying activity and stability against commercial emulsifiers using three PAHs, and (iii) to characterize the biomolecule after purification. The UAM25 strain, produced a high molecular weight (1,010 kDa) macromolecule when grown in an airlift bioreactor with n-hexadecane as its sole carbon and energy source. Under these conditions, the yield was 150 mg·L-1 of pure BE with 160 emulsifying activity units. The BE emulsified n-hexadecane and β-methylnaphthalene, as well as blends of pyrene and phenanthrene in a non-specific mode. This novel BE displays an exopolysaccharide (repeated rhamnose and galactose units) structure different from previously reported within the same bacterial genus. We observed remarkable PAH-emulsifying capabilities in the BE, compared to commercial emulsifiers such as Tween 80 and Triton X-100. Our work suggests potential biotechnological applications to enhance the bioremediation of soil, sediments, and water.