• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.482-487
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• 1999

The Pseudomonas sp. strain NGK1 (NCIM 5120) was immobilized in calcium alginate, agar, and polyacrylamide gel matrices. The salicylic acid-producing capacity of freely suspended cells was compared with immobilized cells in batches with a shake culture and continuous culture system in a packed bed reactor. Freely suspended cells ($4\times10^{10}cfu/ml$) produced 12 mM of salicylic acid, whereas cells immobilized in calcium alginate ($1.8\times10^{11}$cfu/g beads), agar ($1.8\times10^{11}$cfu/g beads), and polyacrylamide ($1.6\times10^{11}$cfu/g beads) produced 15, 11, and 16mM of salicylic acid, respectively, from naphthalene at an initial concentration of 25 mM. The continuous production of salicylic acid from naphthalene was investigated in a continuous packed bed reactor with two different cell populations. The longevity of the salicylic acid-producing activity of the immobilized cells from naphthalene was also studied in semi continuous fermentations. The immobilized cells could be reused 18, 13, and more than 20 times without losing salicylic acid-producing activity in calcium alginate-,agar-, and polyacrylamide-entrapped cells, respectively. The study reveals a more efficient utilization of naphthalene and salicylic acid production by the immobilized Pseudomonas sp. strain NGK1 as compared to the free cells.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.29-34
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• 2003

A Pseudomonas sp. strain NGK1 (NCIM 5120) capable of utilizing salicylate was immobilized in alginate and polyurethane foam (PUF). The degradation rate of salicylate by freely suspended cells was compared with the degradation rate by immobilized cells. In an initial 20 and 40 mM salicylate, free cells ($2{\times}10^{11}\;cfu\;ml^{-1}$) degraded to 16 and 14 mM, alginate-entrapped cells degraded to 18 and 26 mM, and PUF-entrapped cells degraded to 20 and 32 mM salicylate, respectively, in batch cultures. The alginate-and PUF-entrapped cells were used in repeated batch and continuous culture systems. The efficiency of both the immobilized systems f3r the degradation of salicylate was compared. It has been observed that the PUF-entrapped cells could be reused for more than 20 cycles whereas alginate-entrapped cells could be reused for a maximum of only 12 cycles, after which a decrease in degradation rat was observed with the initial 20 and 40 mM salicylate. The continuous degradation of sallcylate by freely suspended cells showed a negligible degradation rate of salicylate when compared with immobilized cells. With the immobilized cells in both alginate and polyurethane foam, the degradation rate increased with an increase in the dilution rate up to $2\;h^{-1}$ for 20 mM, and $1.5\;h^{-1}$ for 40 mM salicylate. The results revealed that PUF-entrapped cells were more efficient for the degradation of salicylate than alginate-entrapped cells and freely suspended cells.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.73-79
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• 1999

Pseudomonas sp. NGK1, isolated by naphthalene enrichment culture technique, is capable of degrading anthracene as a sole source of carbon and energy. The organism degraded anthracene through the intermediate formation of 1,2-dihydroxyanthracene, 2-hydroxy-3-naphthoic acid, salicylate, and catechol. The intermediates were isolated and characterized by TLC, spectrophotometry, and HPLC analysis. The cell free extract of anthracene-grown cells showed activities of anthracene dioxygenase, 2-hydroxy-3-naphthylaldehyde dehydrogenae, 2-hydroxy-3-naphthoate hydroxylase, salicylate hydroxylase and catechol 2,3-dioxygenase. The formed catechol as a metabolite is degraded through meta-cleavage with the formation of ${\alpha}$-hydroxymuconic semi-aldehyde.