Comparative study of the production of rhamnolipid biosurfactants by B. thailandensis E264 and P. aeruginosa ATCC 9027 using foam fractionation

• Published in: Process biochemistry (1991) Vol. 51; no. 7; pp. 820 - 827
• Main Authors: Díaz De Rienzo, M.A., Kamalanathan, I.D., Martin, P.J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01-07-2016
• Subjects: Biosurfactants; Burkholderia; Burkholderia thailandensis; Foam fractionation; Pseudomonas; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Rhamnolipids; Foam fractionation; Rhamnolipids; Burkholderia; Pseudomonas; Biosurfactants
• ISSN: 1359-5113; 1873-3298
• DOI: 10.1016/j.procbio.2016.04.007

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•Rha-Rha-C14-C14 and Rha-C10-C10 were recovered in a continuous foam fractionation system.•The yield of Rha-Rha-C14-C14 produced by B. thailandensis increased by a factor of 5.•A competitive adsorption process was postulated to occur during the foam fractionation process.
Biosurfactants are surface-active agents that are produced by a variety of microorganisms including yeasts, filamentous fungi and bacteria. In this work, we report on the ability of Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 9027 and Burkholderia thailandensis E264 to produce rhamnolipids via a 10-L bioreactor and their recovery through foam fractionation studies in a continuous stripping mode. The recovery of Rha-C10-C10 (mono-rhamnolipids) produced by P. aeruginosa ATCC 9027 increased (from 6% to 96%), whilst the enrichment decreased (from 2.9 to 1.2) with the increasing airflow rate. These results are consistent with foam fractionation of a single surfactant system with stable foam. The recovery and enrichment of Rha-Rha-C14-C14 (di-rhamnolipids) produced by B. thailandensis E264 (and an unknown molecule) in a single-component system were found to display different characteristics. Both recovery and enrichment were found to decrease with the airflow rate. It is postulated that a competitive adsorption process could occur between the smaller molecule identified by electrospray ionisation–mass spectrometry (ESI–MS) and Rha-Rha-C14-C14.