Abstract
Potential biosurfactant producers and economic production processes are major considerations for commercialization of biosurfactants. The present study was aimed at exploring marine Actinobacteria for the production of biosurfactants using industrial and agro-industrial wastes under solid state culture (SSC). A biosurfactant producer, Brachybacterium paraconglomeratum MSA21 was isolated from a marine sponge. The strain MSA21 effectively utilized tannery pre-treated effluent as the substrate for the production of a biosurfactant under SSC. The critical control factors influence the production of biosurfactant includes glucose, yeast extract, copper sulfate and inoculum size. The glucose and yeast extract interactively increase the production maxima over a stable area. The surface active compound was characterized as a glycolipid derivative with a hydrophilic part of methyl-2-oxopropyl furan and a hydrophobic dodecanoic acid, methyl ester. The MSA21 biosurfactant displayed antibiotic activity. The domain ketosynthase in MSA21 showed that the polyketide synthase gene might be involved in the synthesis of antimicrobial compounds. The strain B. paraconglomeratum MSA21 could be used for the production of a biosurfactant as a green alternative to replace chemical surfactants.