*Corresponding Author E-mail: kvbhaskararao@vit.ac.in
Biosurfactants are amphiphilic compounds with high specificity, low toxicity and high biodegradability and able to increase the surface tension of hydrophobic water insoluble substrate. In our study, the isolation and characterization of indigenous bacteria capable of producing biosurfactant from contaminated soil samples from various sources was undertaken. Crude oil contaminated soil samples from various sources in Vellore (12.9165° N, 79.1325° E), Tamil Nadu were collected for isolation. The biosurfactant producing bacteria were screened by emulsification test, drop collapse test, orcinol assay, blue agar test and crude oil displacement test. Isolates were characterized by microscopy and various biochemical tests. The extracted biosurfactant was characterized by FTIR analysis. The bacterial isolates were characterised by biochemical tests. Five distinct isolates were isolated on R2A agar and were designated as APB1, APB2, APB3, APB4 and APB5. Among them three isolates, APB3, APB4 and APB5 showed hemolysis activity on blood agar plates were chosen for further assays. The three isolates showed relevant biosurfactant production, the highest being 50 µg ml−1.
Biosurfactant, Hemolysis test, Emulsification test, Orcinol assay, Blue agar test and crude oil displacement test
