BIOSURFACTANT PRODUCTION BY PSEUDOMONAS-AERUGINOSA GS3 FROM MOLASSES

Pseudomonas aeruginosa GS3 produces rhamnolipid biosurfactants during growth on molasses and cornsteep liquor as the primary carbon and nitr ogen sources, respectively. After 96 h of growth the culture supernata nt fluid had a rhamnose concentration of 0.24 g l(-1) and reduced the interfacial tension against crude oil from 21 mN m(-1) to 0.47 mN m(-1 ). The rhamnolipids were able to form stable emulsions with n-alkanes, aromatics, crude oil and olive oil. These studies indicate that renew able, relatively inexpensive and easily available resources can be use d for important biotechnological processes.