Biological Conversion of Normal Chain Octadecane by Native Microbial Consortia

Long-chain alkanes are a major constituent of crude oils and their conversions into other compounds are of interest depending on the specific application. Here, five native microbial consortia obtained from petroleum polluted sites were examined for biological conversion of n-octadecane as a representative of long chain alkanes. The experiments were implemented in 250 mL flasks containing 0.5 g n-octadecane in 40 mL culture media kept on a shaker at 160 rpm and 30C for one week. A pure culture of Psedumonas putida was inoculated at the same condition for comparison. Amongst the consortia, ABN52 imposed more obvious changes on n-octadecane. The GC-MS analysis of daily samples showed the appearance of lighter branched compounds at the first and second days of incubation but disappeared in the following days. At the end of incubation time up to 20 (w/w%) of the initial substrate was turned into polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs). It also suggested higher activity of the consortia compared to the pure culture of Psedumonas putida.