Production of surfactants by Rhodococcus erythropolis strain EK-1, grown on hydrophilic and hydrophobic substrates

The ability of Rhodococcus erythropolis strain EK-1 to produce surfactants when grown on hydrophilic (ethanol and glucose) and hydrophobic (liquid paraffins and hexadecane) substrates was studied. The strain was found to produce surfactants with emulsifying and surface-active properties. The production of surfactants depended on the composition of the nutritive medium, nature and concentration of the sources of carbon and nitrogen, and duration of cultivation. Chemically, surfactants produced by Rhodococcus erythropolis EK-1 grown on ethanol are a complex of lipids with polysaccharide-proteinaceous substances. The lipids include glycolipids (trehalose mono- and dicorynomycolates) and common lipids (cetyl alcohol, palmitic acid, methyl n-pentadecanoate, triglycerides, and mycolic acids).