Characterization of biosurfactant produced by the endophyte Burkholderia sp. WYAT7 and evaluation of its antibacterial and antibiofilm potentials.

The endophyte Burkholderia sp. WYAT7 isolated from the medicinal plant Artemisia nilagirica (Clarke) Pamp. was analyzed for its ability to produce biosurfactant. The evaluation of biosurfactant production was conducted using different screening methods which confirmed the presence of biosurfactant in the culture supernatant. CTAB- methylene blue agar plate method was used for the screening of glycolipid biosurfactant production. The biosurfactant produced by the bacteria effectively metabolized hydrocarbons present in the bacterial culture media. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic (FTIR) analysis of biosurfactant provided the details regarding OH stretching, stretching vibrations of acyl chain, CO stretching, stretching vibrations of ether and vibrations of glycosidic linkages in the biosurfactant. The stretching vibrations of glycosidic linkage in the fingerprint regions of FTIR spectrum (1200 cm-1 to 800 cm-1 regions) confirms that the biosurfactant produced was a glycolipid. The GC-MS analysis confirmed the methyl and ethyl esters of fatty acids. The biosurfactant from the bacteria exhibited antibacterial activity against bacterial pathogens such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MTCC 2453), Escherichia coli (MTCC 1610), Salmonella paratyphi and Bacillus subtilis. The glycolipid biosurfactant had antibiofilm activity as evidenced in Staphylococcus aureus (MTCC 1430). All these results indicated the beneficial effect of the biosurfactant in plant-endophyte interactions. The properties exhibited by the biosurfactant suggest that it can be exploited commercially for the production of novel antibiotics.