THE USE OF GROUNDNUTS OIL AS SUBSTRATE FOR GLYCOPROTEIN BIOSURFACTANT PRODUCTION BY MICROCOCCS SP. LB11

Biosurfactants, microbial surface-active agents, are gaining significant attention as environmentally friendly alternatives to synthetic surfactants due to their low toxicity, biodegradability, and effectiveness under extreme conditions. A major challenge in their commercialization is the high cost of production media. This study investigated the potential of using groundnut oil, a low-cost agro-industrial waste, as the sole carbon source for biosurfactant production by a potent bacterial isolate. A total of five bacterial isolates, obtained from an oilcontaminated soil environment, were screened for biosurfactant production using three complementary assays: the Oil Spreading Assay, the Drop Collapse Assay, and the Emulsification Index {E24}) test. Initial screening identified Micrococcus sp. LB11 as a strong surface-active agent (15 mm oil displacement) and MICROCOCCS sp. LB11as an efficient interfacial tension reducer (45 s drop collapse time). However, the isolate identified as Alcaligenes faecalis (IS-7) demonstrated the most promising performance in terms of emulsion stability. When cultivated on a medium containing groundnut oil as the carbon source MICROCOCCS sp. LB11produced a biosurfactant that yielded a superior Emulsification Index ({E24}) of approximately 65% after 24 hours. This high (E24} value is indicative of a highly stable emulsion, suggesting the production of a high-molecular-weight biosurfactant, likely a glycoprotein, which is characteristic of the Bacillus sp. LC21. The successful utilization of groundnut oil as a substrate byMICROCOCCS sp. LB11demonstrates a viable, cost-effective pathway for the sustainable production of a highly effective biosurfactant. These findings strongly recommend MICROCOCCS sp. LB11and its biosurfactant for further characterization and application in environmental and industrial processes, particularly in bioremediation and enhanced oil recovery.