Production of Surface Active Lipids by Saccharomyces Uvarum Grown on Decane

A yeast capable of growth on n-decane as the sole source of carbon with production of appreciable quantities of biosurfactant has been isolated from soil and identified as Saccharomyces uvarum. The surface activity of the culture medium was attributed to lipids which were extracted and fractionated using column and thin-layer chromatograph. The lipid content of each fraction was characterized as phospholipids, triglyceride, and a small amount of palmitic acid using infrared spectrophotometry and gas chromatography. The amount of surfactant produced correlated with cell number, pH of cultures liquid and decane concentration.