Isolation and Characterization of Three New Crude Oil Degrading Yeast Strains, Candida parapsilosis SK1, Rhodotorula mucilaginosa SK2 and SK3

Abstract

Bioremediation using yeasts is an alternative way to minimize the effects of oil spillage on soil. This paper aims to establish a bioremediation protocol involving the optimization of physicochemical parameters. In this regard, three new yeast strains, SK1, SK2 and SK3, were isolated from hydrocarbon-contaminated samples from the Fez-Meknes region, Morocco. These isolates were identified as new species of Candida parapsilosis (SK1) and Rhodotorula mucilaginosa (SK2 and SK3), respectively, based on the similarity of their ITS region. The kinetic analysis of the process of degradation of petroleum oils are highlighted. These analyses were based on the degradation kinetics, and biomass formation using gravimetric analysis and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry techniques. The strains were able to degrade 68% of the total petroleum hydrocarbon in 21 days, as the sole carbon source. The addition of glucose increased the rate at which crude oil was consumed by the isolates. Our results suggest that inoculants based on Candida parapsilosis (SK1) and Rhodotorula mucilaginosa (SK2 and SK3) cells have potential application in the biodegradation of crude oil and possibly in the degradation of other related aromatic compounds.

Isolation and Characterization of Yarrowia lipolytica YQ22 from Diesel Samples for Phenol Biodegradation

“…The plates were incubated at 35°C for 48 hours, and colonies with distinct yeast-like morphology were isolated in pure culture. Subcultures of the purified colonies were stored at 4°C until further analysis (Benmessaoud et al, 2022).…”

Main Factors Determining the Scale-Up Effectiveness of Mycoremediation for the Decontamination of Aliphatic Hydrocarbons in Soil

“…Within the phylum Basidiomycota, the frequently detected presence of several hydrocarbonoclastic species belonging to the group of basidiomycetous yeasts in crude oil-contaminated soils has suggested their potential use in bioremediation [119,125]. These species belong to the genera Rhodotorula, Rhodosporidium, Cryptococcus, and Trichosporon, and although their ability to degrade aliphatic hydrocarbons has been proven by several studies [120,126]; there are very few documented examples of bioaugmentation of crude-oil-contaminated sites using these organisms.…”

Degradation of Xenobiotic Pollutants: An Environmentally Sustainable Approach

“…Initially, bacterial strains with metabolic properties were isolated and cultured to degrade pollutants. However, very few microbes are cultivable with xenobiotic degradative potential; few of them have been isolated and characterized in the recent past with incomparable biodegradation ability such as Alcaligenes [59], Pseudomonas [60], Enterobacter, Achromobacter, Hyphomicrobiaceae, Microbacterium [61], Micrococcus and Rhodococcus [62], Aeromonas [63], Sphingobium [64], Aspergillus and Purpureocillium [65], Penicillium and Trichoderma [66], Rhodotorula and Candida [67] etc. Hence, new culture-independent approaches such as metagenomics are gaining momentum to identify non-cultivable microbes with xenobiotic degradation potential [68,69].…”