Production of bioemulsifier by Bacillus subtilis, Alcaligenes faecalis and Enterobacter species in liquid culture

Three bacterial strains isolated from waste crude oil were selected due to their capacity of growing in the presence of hydrocarbons and production of bioemulsifier. The genetic identification (PCR of the 16S rDNA gene using fD1 and rD1 primers) of these strains showed their affiliation to Bacillus subtilis, Alcaligenes faecalis and Enterobacter sp. These strains were able to emulsify n-octane, toluene, xylene, mineral oils and crude oil, look promising for bioremediation application. Finally, chemical composition, emulsifying activity and surfactant activity of the biopolymers produced by the selected strains were studies under different culture conditions. Our results showed that chemical and functional properties of the bioemulsifiers were affected by the carbon source added to the growth media.