Sains Malaysiana 41(9)(2012): 1117–1124

 

 

Cleaning Potential of Surfactin on Fouled Ultrafiltration (UF) Membranes

(Potensi Pembersihan Surfaktin untuk Membersihkan Jerapan pada Membran Ultrapenurasan(UF))

 

 

Mohd Hafez Mohd Isa*

Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM), Bandar Baru Nilai

71800 Nilai, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia

 

Richard A. Frazier & Paula Jauregi

Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University of Reading, Whiteknights

PO Box 226 Reading RG6 6AP, United Kingdom

 

Received: 27 February 2012 / Accepted: 21 May 2012

 

ABSTRACT

Biosurfactants are microbially produced surface active agents that offer better biodegradability and lower toxicity than chemically synthesized surfactants because of their biogenetic origin. One of the most surface-active biosurfactants known is surfactin, a cyclic lipopeptide produced by various strains of Bacillus subtilis. In this study, the cleaning potential of surfactin on ultrafiltration (UF) membranes fouled with BSA was studied using centrifugal UF devices of 50 kDa and 100 kDa MWCO polyethersulfone (PES) membranes. Mechanisms of bovine serum albumin (BSA) displacement by surfactin on fouled UF membranes were studied using dynamic light scattering (DLS) technique and surface tension measurements. Hydrodynamic diameter and surface tension measurements of BSA-surfactin mixtures showed that the surfactin was efficient in displacing BSA fouled on UF membranes due to strong electrostatic repulsive interactions involved at pH8.5. This study demonstrated that surfactin can be used to effectively clean fouled UF membranes.

 

Keywords: Critical Micelle Concentration (CMC); hydrodynamic diameter; surface tension measurements; surfactin; ultrafiltration (UF)

 

ABSTRAK

Biosurfaktan merupakan agen aktif permukaan yang mempunyai keupayaan biodegradasi yang lebih baik dan sifat toksik yang lebih rendah berbanding surfaktan sintesis kimia disebabkan oleh ciri biogenetik asalannya. Salah satu biosurfaktan yang paling aktif permukaan diketahui ialah surfaktin, sejenis lipopeptida berbentuk siklik yang dihasilkan oleh pelbagai strain Bacillus subtilis. Di dalam kajian ini, keupayaan pembersihan surfaktin terhadap membran ultrapenurasan (UF) yang dijerap dengan albumin serum lembu (BSA) telah dikaji dengan menggunakan alat pengempar UF bermembran polietersulfon (PES) 50 kDa dan 100 kDa MWCO. Mekanisme pembersihan membran yang dijerap dengan albumin serum lembu (BSA) oleh surfaktin telah dikaji dengan menggunakan teknik selerakan cahaya dinamik (DLS) dan pengukuran tegangan permukaan. Pengukuran diameter hidrodinamik dan tegangan permukaan ke atas sebatian kompleks BSA-surfaktin menunjukkan surfaktin berkesan di dalam pembersihan membran UF yang dicemari BSA berdasarkan interaksi tangkisan elektrostatik yang kuat pada pH8.5. Kajian ini menunjukkan bahawa surfaktin boleh digunakan secara efektif untuk membersihkan jerapan pada membran UF.

 

Kata kunci: Diameter hidrodinamik; kepekatan kritikal misel (CMC); pengukuran tegangan permukaan; surfaktin; ultrapenurasan (UF)

 

 

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* Corresponding author; email: m.hafez@usim.edu.my