Bishwambhar Mishra and Suneetha Vuppu
The aim of this study was to optimize the medium and cultivation conditions and to investigate the possibility of applying Aureobasidium pullulans BS1 for the study of anti-oxidant activity and metal biosorption efficiency with the simultaneous biosynthesis of Pullulan. The A. pullulans BS1 was screened from the phylloplane of Brassica oleracea reported in our previous study by enrichment process. The various parameters (pH, Temperature, Time period of Incubation and types of Carbon and Nitrogen sources) were optimized. The optimal medium for pullulan production by this strain BS1 was 7.0% (w/v) glucose, 1.8% (w/v) soybean cake hydrolysate, 0.45% (w/v) K 2 HPO 4 , 0.1% (w/v) NaCl, 0.02% (w/v) MgSO 4 ?7H 2 O, 0.05% (w/v) (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 , pH 6.5. The optimal cultivation conditions for pullulan production by this strain in 300-ml shake flask containing 50 ml of medium were observed at 28?C and with 180 rpm. Under these conditions, 6.5% (w/v) pullulan was produced within a time period of 3 days. No melanin like pigments in the medium was observed during the fermentation process, indicating that strain BS1 was a non-pigmented yeast strain. The metal absorption efficiency and the antioxidant properties of the isolated strain were found with simultaneous production of pullulan in the fermentation broth
Bishwambhar Mishra has received his engineering degree in Biotechnology from VIT University, Vellore in the year 2010 and presently pursuing his research work in ?production of biopolymer (pullulan) from the microbial sources? under the guidance of Dr. Suneetha Vuppu in VIT University. He has attended many national and international conferences, seminars and workshop and presented papers and posters in various scientific events. He has published total 9 papers in both national and international peer reviewed journals.