Evaluation of production of lipopeptide biosurfactants and surfactin micelles by native Bacillus of Iran, for a broader application range

Surfactin is one of the most important lipopeptide biosurfactants obtained by biocatalysts of Bacillus subtilis. The aim of this study was to isolate surfactin‐producing bacilli from native soils of the country (Iran), investigate their properties, convert surfactin to surfactin micelles, determine the properties of surfactin micelles and investigate the effect of starch‐coated Fe0 and Fe3+ nanoparticles on the production of surfactin from B. subtilis. To do so, 20 bacilli were isolated from the native soil sample by heat shock method and genome sequenced by SrRNA16 method. The samples with strong β‐hemolysis activity were screened as surfactant‐producing strains. Two species of 61 and 63 (B. subtilis subspecies. Inaquosorum) were selected and examined by quantitative and qualitative screening tests such as hemolysis activity, surfactin production, droplet aggregation, emulsifying activity, and surface tension reduction in MSM medium containing Fe0 and Fe3+ nanoparticles. Surfactin was converted to surfactin micelles by sonication and confirmed by SEM. The antimicrobial and emulsifying activity and surface tension reduction of surfactin micelles were investigated. According to the results, the surface tension reduction of surfactin micelles was greater than that of surfactin. The strain 61 (99.7%) culture in 5 L bioreactors containing Fe3+ nanoparticles produced more surfactin than culture of the same strain without nanoparticles. This study presents an efficient method to increase the biosynthesis of microbial metabolites.