Biosurfactants Production from Newly Isolated Aspergillus sp. FS11 Using Agro-Industrial Wastes

The aim of this work is the isolation, identification, production, characterization and properties of biosurfactant producing fungal strain. The fungal strain FS11 was isolated from water oil field collected in southern Algeria and identified as Aspergillus sp. FS11. In an attempt to provide cost-effective carbon source for biosurfactants production, crude olive mill wastewater (OMW) was used as fermentative medium for 9 days under conditions of pH 5, temperature of 28 °C and agitation of 150 rpm. After cultivation period, the emulsification index value E₂₄ reached 76% and ST reduction from 72 to 42 ± 0.20 mN/m. TLC and FTIR analysis of the crude extract, showed that crude biosurfactant was partially characterized as glycolipoprotein complex. The crude biosurfactant presented interesting properties such us; significant reduction in surface tension, important emulsifying activity and stability over a wide range of pH (2 to 12), temperature (4–100 °C) and salinity (1–10%). More interestingly, the produced biosurfactant, have proved great potential application in MEOR microbial enhanced oil recovery (removal rate greater than 50%).