Purification and Characterization of Bioemulsifier Produced by Acinetobacter sp. BE-254

The Acinetobacter sp. BE-254 isolated from soil sources produced a bioemulsifier in the medium supplemented with n-hexadecane. This bioemulsifier was purified by the procedures of fractionation (ammonium sulfate and chilled acetone), extraction by hexane, and column chromatography on silica gel 60. The results from various color reactions indicated that the bioemulsifier was a glycolipid. The purified emulsifier was very stable at pHs ranging from 4 to 10 and under heat treatment at $100^{\circ}C$ for 30 min. Emulsification activity was also hardly influenced by pH. The critical micelle concentration (CMC) and surface tension at the point ($\gamma_{cmc}$) of the bioemulsifier were approximately 35 mg/l and 30 mN/m, respectively. The bioemulsifier showed a fairly good emulsification activity and stability in comparison with other commercial emulsifiers in the basic formula composed of emulsifier, oil, and water.