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 Feces in Nigeria

Abstract

I. K. M. Okorie* and A. A. Ogunjobi

Antibiotic resistance has reached universal proportions, and the discovery of effective alternatives to the common antibiotics currently used, could aid in solving this problem. The aim of this study was to characterize a bioflocculant produced from Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain F29, accession number OQ734844, that exhibited effective antibacterial 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 nonmetals: phosphorus, sulfur and nitrogen; and multiple moieties, likely contributed to the antibacterial activity 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; and of a bioflocculant produced from porcine feces in Africa.

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