Pyocyanin biosynthesis by Pseudomonas aeruginosa using a biodiesel byproduct

Abstract

By-products of biodiesel production, such as crude glycerol, require options for their valorization, which allow obtaining high value products with application in several areas. To achieve this, the use of crude glycerol for the production of pyocyanin was analyzed using three strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, to increase the concentration of metabolite and compare it with that produced using lysogeny broth (LB medium). The effect was dependent on the strain used, shown positively by only two strains. The physiology of P. aeruginosa was analyzed using glycerol as the sole carbon source and the complete substrate for pyocyanin biosynthesis. The extracted compound was identified by UPLC-MS and characterized by electrochemical techniques. The voltamperometric response of the pyocyanin allowed analyzing its ability to participate in redox behaviour and the mechanisms on the electrode surface, which could be associated with adsorption processes. This study shows the potential of the strains used to obtain redox metabolites of high interest with application in bioelectrochemical systems. In addition, the alternative to produce such metabolites using bioprocess by-products for energy generation, of great international use, was proposed.