Biosurfactant Production by Aeromonas caviae

Abstract

Surfactants are amphiphilic compounds known as surface-active agents. Due to this property, they accumulate at the interfaces of different phases and reduce the surface tension between these phases, facilitating their mixing and the formation of emulsions. Consequently, surfactants have widespread applications in detergents and cleaning products, the food industry, cosmetics and personal care products, the oil and gas industry, as well as in medicine and pharmaceuticals. However, these synthetic surfactants, which are chemically synthesized, have certain adverse effects on both the environment and human health. Therefore, biosurfactants, which are naturally synthesized by bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms, have gained significant importance as alternatives to synthetic surfactants. Eco-friendly biosurfactants offer several advantages, including low toxicity, biodegradability, high biocompatibility, sustainable production, and stability under various conditions. Additionally, their diversity makes them a promising group of compounds for a wide range of industrial and biotechnological applications. This study aims to investigate the biosurfactant production potential of the Aeromonas caviae LipT51 strain. Biosurfactants are increasingly attracting interest in biotechnology due to their advantages, such as low toxicity, biodegradability, and environmental compatibility. In this study, A. caviae LipT51 was cultured in a medium containing olive oil to induce biosurfactant production. The presence of biosurfactant production was confirmed through various tests, including the Parafilm M test, oil spreading test, emulsification index (E24) measurement, CTAB agar method, hemolytic activity test, foam formation test, and phenol-sulfuric acid method. The results demonstrated that the produced biosurfactant exhibited surface-active properties, possessed emulsification capacity, and showed potential for biotechnological applications, including hydrocarbon bioremediation and antimicrobial activity.