Authors : K. V. Dubey1* , G. L. Boosreddy1, P. N. Charde1, V. S. Dubey2, A. A. Juwarkar
Page Nos : 321-338
Description :
A bacterium, having dual capabilities of producing biosurfactant and capable of
degrading monocrotophos, was isolated from lube oil and distillery spent wash
contaminated soil collected from a distillery unit and was named as BS-J. On the
basis of the cellular morphology, physiological and chemotaxonomic characteristics and
phylogenetic similarity of 16S rDNA gene sequences, the strain was identified as a
Kocuria turfanesis. The ability of the biosurfactant producing Kocuria turfanesis to
mineralize monocrotophos was investigated under different culture conditions viz. in
mineral salts medium containing monocrotophos (150 mg/l) as sole carbon source and
in soil simulated with monocrotophos and BS-J whole cells in fermented curd whey
containing biosurfactant and soil simulated with monocrotophos and biosurfactant
containing cell free fermented curd whey. The addition of BS-J whole cells broth with
biosurfactant to soil containing monocrotophos (500 mg kg-1) resulted in a higher
degradation rate than that obtained in soil containing fermented curd whey with
biosurfactant alone without cells. Results indicate that Kocuria turfanesis strain BS-J
has great potential utility for the bioremediation of wastewater or soil contaminated
with monocrotophos.
