Quality Assessment Of Biosurfactants From Palm, Groundnut And Melon Oils

Abstract

Chukwuma Stephen Ezeonu, Egwuatu P Ikenna, Imo Chinedu, Amoo A Olaniyi, Abah M Andodua, HabibuBilyaminu Elijah B Daniel, Umeh O Richard, Nwobodo C David and Ibo M Eziafakaego

This study was carried out to establish the ability of spilled oils on soil to produce biosurfactant from fungal isolates. The bioprocess was conducted with two fungal isolates after several culturing and subculturing which was identified as Mucor spp and Fusarium spp. The research was conducted using the following medium, groundnut oil, palm oil, melon oil supplemented with spent vegetable oil as carbon sources and yeast extract which serves as a source of nitrogen. A portion of the pure culture was inoculated into the prepared broth and incubated with constant agitation for 21days (300C). The biosurfactant broth produced was then extracted by centrifugation for 10mins at 3000rpm. The supernatants were used for the emulsification index (EI) and oil displacements assay (ODA) among other biochemical test such as iodine test, saponification test and biodegradability test using (2, 6-DCPIP). The EI assay is indicative of biosurfactant concentration which gave the following trends considering the effectiveness/suitability of the fungi for the substrate in kerosene emulsion. The EI after 24hours showing the follow trend in biosurfactant emulsification activities by Mucor spp from carbon sources groundnut oil, melon oil and palm oil in kerosene emulsion as 63.63±0.64%, 60.46±0.01, and 52.2±0.2% respectively. In like manner, the E24 from biosurfactants produce by Fusarium spp from the same sequence of substrate includes 46.7±0.13%, 45.83±0.1% and 52.2±0.2%. The EI was conducted in diesel but shows a decrease. This is indicative of the concentration of biosurfactant of the fungi capable of exhibiting great activities in such substrates. The result of the ODA showed a large area displaced by the produced biosurfactant. The biosurfactant produced by Fusarium spp from palm oil sample displaced an area of 12.57 Cm2 equally with biosurfactant released by Mucor grown on groundnut oil. The least ODA was observed in melon oil for Fusarium spp. From this study the following can be deduced; the produced biosurfactants generally can be used for the remediation of kerosene contaminated materials and environments. In terms of substrate selection, groundnut oil is a better substrate which produces more and effective biosurfactant. Furthermore, comparing between the two screened fungi, the Mucor spp produces higher concentration of biosurfactant while Fusarium spp and Mucor spp both had good activities as well as high quality dispersion and Emulsification actions.

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