MICROBIAL TRANSFORMATION AND BIODEGRADATION OF CALOTROPIS-PROCERA LATEX TOWARDS OBTAINING VALUE-ADDED CHEMICALS, PHARMACEUTICALS AND FUELS

The latex of Calotropis procera (Ait.) R.Br., (a potential petrocrop) may be exploited to obtain fuels and chemicals. This latex has been su bjected to microbial action with Sphaerotilus aeruginosa, Sphaerotilus natans, Streptococcus sp., Escherichia coli, Penicillium expansum and Mucor Sp. with an aim to find out a biochemical route way to obtain f uels and chemicals. The treated latex was extracted with hexane, chlor oform and methanol separately. The extracts obtained were analysed usi ng (CNMR)-C-13 and (HNMR)-H-1 spectral techniques to understand the ch emical dynamics of biotransformation of latex components. Microbial ac tion was found to degrade, biotransform, oxidise, dehydrogenate and de aromatize the chemical components of the latex. S. aeruginosa and stre ptococcus sp were found to be the potential candidates for the microbi al degradation of latex. Latex mainly contains triterterpenoid, steroi d etc. compounds. These acyclic and naphthenic type of compounds are s tabler and relatively less reactive compounds. Hydrotreatment of such compounds by thermal degradation would require drastic conditions. The complex degradation reactions at high temperature (under pressure) wo uld be slower. Microbial treatment renders the latex (and compounds pr esent therein) as reactive substrates or feedstocks close for hydrotre atment for obtaining value added and premium products. These products may include value added chemicals, fuels and pharmaceuticals etc. in t he Long run. Microbial treatments may reduce the heat panalty of the h ydrogen treatment etc. process. This may also make the rates of the hy drotreatment etc. reactions faster to afford the continuous processes in the long run.