Phenanthrene degradation and biosurfactant production by Stenotrophomonas maltophilia under static conditions: potential for bioremediation
- 1School of Biosciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, India
Abstract
Phenanthrene, a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, poses significant ecological risks due to its hydrophobicity and environmental persistence. This study explores phenanthrene degradation and biosurfactant production under static conditions by the isolate VITSVK4 from uncontaminated terrestrial soil. The isolate, identified as Stenotrophomonas maltophilia based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing, achieved 72% ± 1.73% degradation of 100 mg/L phenanthrene and exhibited strong biosurfactant production with an emulsification index of 79.2% ± 2.51%. The strain tolerated higher phenanthrene concentrations and maintained 59.3% ± 2.08% degradation at 500 mg/L over 8 days under static conditions and GC-MS analysis confirmed degradation of phenanthrene. Seed germination studies indicated reduced phytotoxicity on degradation; phytotoxicity of phenanthrene on Vigna radiata for treated and untreated phenanthrene was 24.5% and 94.7%, respectively. Treated phenanthrene showed 13.1% phytotoxicity on Triticum aestivum. In addition, S. maltophilia degraded crude oil, used engine oil, and monoaromatic petroleum hydrocarbons and demonstrated 60% ± 2.51% oil removal in oil recovery assay. FTIR analysis indicated a glycolipid type biosurfactant that remained stable across varying pH, temperature, and salinity. These results highlight phenanthrene degradation and biosurfactant production under static conditions as a promising strategy for petroleum hydrocarbon remediation.
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BibTeX
@article{yuvaraja2026phenanthrene,
title = {{Phenanthrene degradation and biosurfactant production by Stenotrophomonas maltophilia under static conditions: potential for bioremediation}},
author = {Sreenidhi Yuvaraja and Tishrota Chakraborty and Jayashree Gomathysankar and Sakthishabarish Kumar and Kannabiran Krishnan},
journal = {Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3389/fbioe.2026.1983589},
url = {https://doi.org/10.3389/fbioe.2026.1983589},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Phenanthrene degradation and biosurfactant production by Stenotrophomonas maltophilia under static conditions: potential for bioremediation
AU - Sreenidhi Yuvaraja
AU - Tishrota Chakraborty
AU - Jayashree Gomathysankar
AU - Sakthishabarish Kumar
AU - Kannabiran Krishnan
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/21
JO - Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology
DO - 10.3389/fbioe.2026.1983589
UR - https://doi.org/10.3389/fbioe.2026.1983589
AB - Phenanthrene, a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, poses significant ecological risks due to its hydrophobicity and environmental persistence. This study explores phenanthrene degradation and biosurfactant production under static conditions by the isolate VITSVK4 from uncontaminated terrestrial soil. The isolate, identified as Stenotrophomonas maltophilia based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing, achieved 72% ± 1.73% degradation of 100 mg/L phenanthrene and exhibited strong biosurfactant production with an emulsification index of 79.2% ± 2.51%. The strain tolerated higher phenanthrene concentrations and maintained 59.3% ± 2.08% degradation at 500 mg/L over 8 days under static conditions and GC-MS analysis confirmed degradation of phenanthrene. Seed germination studies indicated reduced phytotoxicity on degradation; phytotoxicity of phenanthrene on Vigna radiata for treated and untreated phenanthrene was 24.5% and 94.7%, respectively. Treated phenanthrene showed 13.1% phytotoxicity on Triticum aestivum. In addition, S. maltophilia degraded crude oil, used engine oil, and monoaromatic petroleum hydrocarbons and demonstrated 60% ± 2.51% oil removal in oil recovery assay. FTIR analysis indicated a glycolipid type biosurfactant that remained stable across varying pH, temperature, and salinity. These results highlight phenanthrene degradation and biosurfactant production under static conditions as a promising strategy for petroleum hydrocarbon remediation.
SN - 2296-4185
ER -