Polyester-degrading thermophilic actinomycetes isolated from different environment in Taiwan

Abstract

Thermophilic actinomycetes strains were isolated from various environment in Taiwan and screened for degradation of poly(ethylene succinate) (PES), poly(epsilon-caprolactone) (PCL) and/or poly(beta-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) by the clear-zone method. Out of 341 strains of thermophilic actinomycetes, 105 isolates were PHB-degraders (30.8%), 198 isolates were PCL-decomposers (58.1%), and 99 isolates could degrade PES (29.0%). Furthermore, 77 isolates could degrade both PHB and PCL (22.6%), 35 isolates could degrade both PHB and PES (10.3%), 81 isolates could degrade both PES and PCL (23.8%) and 31 isolates could degrade the three polyesters used in this study (9.1%). Base on the morphological and chemical characteristics, these 31 isolates belonging to Actinomadura (12.9%), Microbispora (25.8%), Streptomyces (48.4%), Thermoactinomyces (9.7%) and Saccharomonospora genus (3.22%).

Degradation of poly(ε-caprolactone) by a thermophilic bacterium Ralstonia sp. strain MRL-TL isolated from hot spring

“…It belongs to the class b-proteobacteria. The degradation of PCL has been studied by various researchers (Hirotsu et al, 2000;Khatiwala et al, 2008;Li et al, 2012) as well as under thermophilic conditions (Sanchez et al, 2000;Nakasaki et al, 2006;Tseng et al, 2007;Chua et al, 2013). However, there are limited reports on degradation of polyesters by thermophilic strain from genus Ralstonia as well as the depolymerases from Ralstonia sp.…”

“…Polymer biodegradability depends on molecular weight, crystallinity and physical forms (Gu et al, 2000). Hoang et al (2007) and Tseng et al (2007) reported thermophilic actinomycetes that could degrade PCL. Some of the bacterial and fungal strains such as Alcaligenes faecalis and Paecilomyces lilacinus, respectively, were demonstrated to degrade PCL (Oda et al, 1997).…”

Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA): Review of synthesis, characteristics, processing and potential applications in packaging

“…was able to degrade 90% of PHB film after five days cultivation at 50°C [81] Furthermore, several thermophilic polyester degrading actinomycetes were isolated from different ecosystems. Out of 341 strains, 31 isolates were PHB, PCL and PES degraders and these isolates were identified as members of the genus Actinomadura, Microbispora, Streptomyces, Thermoactinomyces and Saccharomonospora [82]. The miscibility, morphology and biodegradability of PHB blends with PCL, polybutylene adipate (PBA), and poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc) were investigated.…”

Review on the current status of polymer degradation: a microbial approach

“…Tseng et al (2007) reported thermophilic actinomycetes from Taiwan with 29.0% polyethylene succinate degradation efficiency. Tseng et al (2007) reported 31 isolates belonging to the genus Saccharomonospora, Streptomyces, Microbispora, Thermoactinomyces and Actinomadura for polymer degradation. Biodegradation of plastic employs different ways, and thermophilic composting serves as a promising method for removal of degradable plastic from the natural environment.…”