Int. Jr. Bioinformatic and Biological Sci. : v.2 n.3 and 4, p. 189-200. Dec. 2014

DOI No. 10.5958/2321-7111.2014.00016.X

Isolation, Purification and Characterization of Oil

Degrading Bacteria from Different Oil Cake Samples

Poonam Singh 1 , Kumar Kashyap 1 and Satendra Singh 2

1 Department of Molecular and Cellular Engineering, Sam Higginbottom Institute of

Agricultural, Technology and Sciences, Allahabad, India – 211007

2 Department of Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Sam Higginbottom Institute

of Agricultural, Technology and Sciences, Allahabad, India – 211007

Corresponding author: drpoonam.singh1@gmail.com

ABSTRACT

Oil cakes of mustard and linseed were collected from Rambagh, Allahabad and

Mahewa Gate, Allahabad. Two samples of mustard and one sample of linseed

cake were taken as a sample for project. Bacteria were grown on these oil cake

samples. From it different cultures were isolated and each was separately grown.

The pure cultures grown were tested for oil degrading property. Those cultures,

which showed oil degrading property, were selected and isolated. The cultures

were then identified using Gram staining technique. A series of biochemical tests

were done for the cultures consuming oil. The tests include starch hydrolysis test,

urease production test and catalase production test. DNA was then isolated from

these oil degrading cultures.

Keywords: oil cakes, bacterial growth, pure culture, oil degradation, gram staining.

Oil Cake: Oil cake is the solids remaining after pressing something to extract the

liquids. Their most common use is in animal feed. Some foods whose processing

creates press cakes are olives for olive oil ( pomace ), peanuts for peanut oil, coconut

flesh for coconut cream and milk ( sapal ), grapes for wine ( pomace ), apples for

cider ( pomace ), and soybeans for soy milk (used to make tofu) (this is called okara )

or oil. Other common press cakes come from flax seed (linseed), cottonseed, and

sunflower seeds. However, some specific kinds may be toxic, and are rather used as

fertilizer, for example cottonseed contains a toxic pigment, gossypol, that must be

removed before processing. Oil cake , coarse residue obtained after oil is removed

from various oilseeds, rich in protein and minerals and valuable as poultry and

other animal feed. Oil cakes from certain seeds such as castor beans and tung nuts

are toxic and are used as fertilizers rather than feed. Oilseeds from which oil cake

used as feed is produced include soybeans, peanuts, flaxseed (linseed), rapeseed,

cottonseed, coconuts (copra), oil palm, and sunflower seeds.