Influence Of Different Nitrogen Sources On Growth And Phb Production Of Bacterial Isolates

The bacterium capable of producing polyhydroxybutyrate has been identified in more than twenty (20) bacterial genera, including Azatobacter, Bacillus< Beijernickia, Pseudomonas. Alcaligenes, Rhizobium and Rhodospirillum (Sudesh et al., 2000).many researchers have explained that soil bacteria generally produce polyhydroxybutrate,polyhydroxybutyrate PHB) production increases if ambient conditions (ph, temperature, nutrients) are made available (Hanzlikova et al., 1985).

Pollyhydroxyalkanoate is one such biodegradable microbial polmer which is accumulated in bacteria as intracellular storage and limited nitrogen source (Anderson and Dawes, 1990). 

The polymer is known to occur as intracellular granules in several genera of micro-organisms. The granules are syuthesized by prokaryotes  acids, sugars and other carbon sources (Atking and kennedy, 1985). Polyhydroxybutrate is insoluble in water, resistant to ultraviolet radiation and is impermeable to oxygen and is very much suitable for use as food packaging material this polymer is readily degraded in the soil and sewage and can be processed using the extrusion technology that is currently used in making polyethylene or polypropylene films(Byrom, 1987). The polyhydroxyalkanoate content and its composition are influenced mainly by the strain of the micro-organisms (Halami, 2008). To achieve a cost effective polyhydroxyalkanoate production, the availability of an efficient bacterial strain is a prereguisite and is a focus of interest for many investigation (Green spare et al., 1985).

The polyhydroxybutyrate production using inexpensive carbon sources in the form of starch by the indigenous strain can be advantageous as the complex starch substrates can be used directly without involvement of any hydrolysis step (itahn et al., 1995).

Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) is used in food packaging, plastic films, surgical sutures (stitching of the edges of a wound or incision), contrived drug deliver e.t.c (kim et al., 1994). This bioplastic has many applications in bone plates, nails,serews and in the treatment of osteomyclitics (Itanzlikova et al., 1985).

(1) AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE RESEARCH

Isolation and biochemical identification of polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) producing bacteria from soil.

(2) Screaming of polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) producing bacteria isolated from soil. 

(3) Polyhydrobutyrate (PHB) Production.

(4) Determination of effect of different nitrogen sources on growth and polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) production, 

1.2 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM 

The accumulation of these non-degradable plastic in the environment is a menacing (treating) draw back increasing day by day. Oil based polymers take many years to degrade which poses an environment problem in some areas, and causes deleterious effects to wild life. To overcome this, production of environmental friendly plastic have been discovered. 

1.3 JUSTIFICATION 

The continuous exhaustion of fossil fuels led to the research for the production of bio-degradable plastic from renewable sources the production of biodegradable polymers from renewable resources is the need of the hour, in the face of these ecological facts.