Biodegradability of Acinetobacter junii CNI PHB Copolymerized with PHV

Acinetobacter junii CN1 PHB, copolymerized with commercial (Sigma) PHV (11 ratio) when subjected to soil burial assay exhibited complete degradation on 60th day. The structural changes occurred in PHBV were then analyzed with AFM, IR spectral readings and TEM as well. A total of 6 PHBV degrading bacterial strains (S1- S6) were isolated not only from the soil in which the PHBV was buried but also from the surface of the degraded PHBV membrane. The isolates were then identified based on their morphological and biochemical characteristics. Further, on screening the six bacterial isolates of the present study, for their PHBV degrading potential, the maximum clear zone was reported with A. faecalis. It is believed that the extracellular PHB depolymerases of the bacterial isolate would serve as the principal enzyme in degradation of PHB / oligomers into dimmers or monomers. These low molecular weight fragments would be further utilized by the microbes as sole carbon and energy sources.