Biosurfactant Producing Bacteria Associated with Oil Polluted Soils of some Auto Mechanic Workshops in Akure, Ondo State, (Southwest) Nigeria

Background: Auto mechanic shops account for a sizable fraction of hydrocarbon leaks that go unnoticed most of the time. This study looked into the biosurfactant-producing activity of hydrocarbon using bacteria isolated from five auto mechanic shops in Akure.Methods: The bacteria were isolated using standard microbiological procedures. The isolates' oil degrading activity was evaluated on Bushnell Haas medium enhanced with 2% petroleum hydrocarbons (petrol, diesel, crude oil and kerosene). Biosurfactant activity was determined using the drop collapse test, oil spread assay, foaming property, and emulsification activity (E24). Biosurfactant-producing isolates were identified using molecular and morphological techniques, as well as biochemical and biochemical assays. Using universal primers, the isolates' hypervariable 16SrRNA region was amplified and sequenced.Result: Bacillus paramycoides strain OFOa and Clostridium punense strain OFOb were discovered as the two (2) bacterial isolates with high biodegradation and biosurfactant generating activities in this study. Their sequences had since been submitted to GenBank, with accession numbers MN700654 and MN700653, respectively.Conclusion: As bio-emulsifiers and biosurfactant makers, the strains of these two (2) bacteria identified in this investigation could be used in bioremediation of hydrocarbon-polluted locations.