Enhanced biodegradation of diesel oil by a newly identified Rhodococcus baikonurensis EN3 in the presence of mycolic acid

AIMS: The aim of the present study was to isolate and characterize a bacterium, strain EN3, capable of using diesel oil as a major carbon and energy source, and to analyse the enhancement of diesel oil degradation by this organism using synthetic mycolic acid (2-hexyl-3-hydroxyldecanoic acid). METHOD AND RESULTS: An actinomycete with the ability to degrade diesel oil was isolated from oil contaminated soil and characterized. The strain had phenotypic properties consistent with its classification in the genus Rhodococcus showing a 16S rRNA gene similarity of 99.7% with Rhodococcus baikonurensis DSM 44587(T). The ability of the characterized strain to degrade diesel oil at various concentrations (1000, 5000, 10 000 and 20 000 mg l(-1)) was determined. The effect of synthetic mycolic acid on the biodegradation of diesel oil was investigated at the 20 000 mg l(-1) concentration; the surfactant was added to the flask cultures at three different concentrations (10, 50 and 100 mg l(-1)) and degradation followed over 7 days. Enhanced degradation was found at all three concentrations of the surfactant. In addition, the enhancement of diesel oil degradation by other surfactants was observed. CONCLUSIONS: The synthetic mycolic acid has potential for the remediation of petroleum-contaminated sites from both an economic and applied perspective as it can stimulate biodegradation at low concentrations. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: This study showed that the synthesized mycolic acid can be used for potential applications in the bioremediation industries, for example, in oil spill clean-up, diesel fuel remediation and biostimulation.