Co-production of Lipases and Biosurfactants by Bacillus Methylotrophicus in Solid State Fermentation for Use in Bioremediation

Abstract Production of biosurfactants and lipases via solid state fermentation (SSF) processes is still little explored when considering the use of bacteria. The potential application of solid matrices without the need for precipitation and recovery processes, helps to enable bioremediation processes. The aim of this work was the co-production of biocompounds via SSF using Bacillus methylotrophicus and the use of the fermented substrate in bioremediation of a soil contaminated with 20% of biodiesel. The biocompounds were produced using wheat bran and corncob (80/20), 75% moisture, 1% inducer (glycerol), 2% nitrogen and 1% sugar cane molasses, during 8 days. The bioremediation was evaluated for 90 days, and the assay containing biocompounds + fermented substrate + bacteria in its active form showed the highest biodegradation (72.08 ± 0.36% in 60 days). Maximum production of biosurfactants and lipases in soil was verified in 30 days of bioremediation. The possibility of co-production of two biocompounds in the same culture medium is confirmed, representing a cost reduction and potential feasibility of the bioprocess when considering industrial production scale, in addition to its environmental application in the treatment of oily contaminants.