Characterization of a novel polyfunctional “metalloglyco-protein/polypeptide-organochlorine” bioflocculant containing saturated nitro compounds, sulfones, polysulfides, phosphorus chlorine compounds, magnesium oxide, and metal chlorides, produced from Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain F29, isolated from porcine faeces in Nigeria

Abstract Antibiotic resistance has reached universal proportions, and the discovery of effective alternatives to the common antibiotics in current use, could aid in solving this problem. The aim of this study was to characterise a bioflocculant produced from Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain F29, accession number OQ734844, that had been observed to demonstrate effective biocontrol activity against two antibiotic resistant bacteria, viz, Staphylococcus aureus SO183, and an identified strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, in another study. FTIR detected saturated nitro compounds, sulfones, polysulfides, phosphorus chlorine bonds, magnesium oxide bonds and metal-chloride bonds. FTIR also detected the following functional groups: carboxyl, amide/peptide, aromatic alcohol, alkene, and halo. SEM showed a clumped and flaky bioflocculant surface, while EDX detected chlorine (56.00%), carbon (20.50%), sodium (12.50%), oxygen (4.00%), phosphorus (3.00%), sulfur (2.43%) magnesium (1.06%), potassium (0.32%) and nitrogen (0.30%). HPLC and MS detected varied peaks of glucose, galactose, inositol and mannose, D-ribose, arabinose, rhamnose and xylose. The phenol sulfuric acid method calculated the concentration of these sugars as 0.0059 g/L. The bioflocculant is a polymeric compound composed mainly of carbohydrates, proteins/polypeptides and organochlorines, possibly a novel “metalloglyco-protein/polypeptide organochlorine” bioflocculant. The presence of the metals: sodium, potassium and magnesium; the non-metals: phosphorus, sulfur and nitrogen; and multiple functional groups, likely augmented the inherent bioactivities of the bioflocculant produced from Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain F29. From available documentation, this is the first report of a polyfunctional “metalloglyco-protein/polypeptide organochlorine” bioflocculant, that naturally contains saturated nitro compounds, sulfones, polysulfides, phosphorus chlorine compounds, magnesium oxide and metal chlorides.