Potentials of Yeast Isolates for Biosurfactant Production

Abstract

Twenty yeast isolates were screened for potential to produce biosurfactants using three different methods namely: collapse of oil drops, oil spreading or displacement and emulsification potential. Of the twenty yeast isolates screened, sixteen (80.0 %) showed collapse of oil drops. Eleven isolates (55 %) were able to displace the oil with Saccharomyces cerevisiae H02, Candida boleticola H09 and Rhodotorula bogoriensis H15 having the highest diameter of displacement of 6.2 cm, 5.3 cm and 4.7 cm respectively. The isolates had emulsifying capacities that ranged from 6.67 % to 33.33 %. The results showed that Saccharomyces cerevisiae H02, Candida boleticola H09 and Rhodotorula bogoriensis H15 were considered efficient potential candidates for biosurfactants production.