Increased Biomass and Adsorption of Used Diesel Oil by Thraustochytrids

Schizochytrium strain (thraustochytrids) was collected from submerged senescent mangrove leaves from intertidal zone of Dimataling, Zamboanga del Sur. The organism was cultivated in yeast extract peptone and screening of their potentiality to degrade hydrocarbons was done by utilizing used crude oil obtained from Shell station, serving as a carbon source for the growth and energy. The possibility of used crude oil to be degraded by Schizochytrium sp. was done by enrichment culture technique, (a) Oppenheimer-Zobell Gaertner (OZG) (b) basal organic (c) Basal Salt Medium and (d) Yeast Extract Peptone Media (serve as control).Qualitative analysis of the degraded oil was made by ocular inspection of the cell growth and by using High Performance Liquid Chromatography for hydrocarbon detection. Visibility and growth of healthy cells were detected under the light microscope. Biomass production g/L of thraustochytrids cultured in the presence of crude oil revealed varying results for wet weight, the highest biomass was produced by media A with a value of 3.2± and the lowest was produced by media C with a value of 2.4±. Dry weight measurements gave the same pattern as with that of wet weight. The highest value is 2.56 ± for media A and the lowest is 1.3± for media C. Biomass production values in the treatment set-up did not differ significantly from those of the control (wet weight: F = 0.64, df = 3, p >; 0.0.60; dry weight: F = 1.41, df = 3, p >; 0.30). Results suggest that Schizochytrium sp. under Thraustochytrids is a potential oil-degrading microorganism since the microbe cells exhibits adherence to hydrocarbons. Therefore, the said microorganism is a promising tool for biochemical remediation in cases of oil spill pollution.