Structural identification of lipopeptide biosurfactants produced by Bacillus subtilis strains grown on the media obtained from renewable natural resources.

The aim of the study was to identify and characterize lipopeptide (LP) biosurfactants produced by two Bacillus subtilis strains (KP7 and I′-1a) grown on various media prepared from renewable natural resources: two different brewery wastewaters (BW#4 and BW#6), 2% beet molasses (M), apple peels extract (APE) supplemented with 0.25% of yeast extract (YE) or 0.25% peptone (P), and similarly supplemented carrot peels extract (CPE). In all used media both strains retained their individual LP production signature characterized by surfactin and iturin overproduction exhibited by KP7 and I′-1a strain, respectively. The production level and the structural diversity of synthesized LPs were dependent on the medium composition. In the CPE+YE medium it was higher than the yield obtained in Luria-Bertani (140.6 and 100.3 mg L−1, respectively). Surfactins were produced by both strains as a mixture of four homologues (C13-C16) with the domination of variant C14. All other broths prepared from renewable resources strongly stimulated the iturin production by I′-1a strain with the exception of BW media. The highest iturin concentration (428.7 mg L−1) obtained in the CPE+P culture of I′-1a strain was about seven-fold higher than in LB. In all cultures only iturin A was identified. Among four iturin homologues (C13-16) produced by I′-1a strain, the highest relative contents of C16 variant (70–80%) were calculated for samples obtained from APE+P and CPE+P media. The obtained data indicate that the waste composition has an influence on both the types and amounts of biosurfactants produced by studied B. subtilis strains.