Determination of Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations of Sophorolipids Against Selected Halotolerant and Moderately Halophilic Bacteria, and Extremely Halophilic Archaea Isolated from Salt Samples and Salted Skins

Abstract

Sophorolipids (SLs) are fungal/yeast glycolipids that possess antimicrobial activity. In this study, three different SL mixtures were produced by microbial fermentation from oleic acid (SL-o), palmitic acid (SL-p), and stearic acid (SL-s), and tested for their antimicrobial activity against various halotolerant and moderately halophilic bacteria, and against extremely halophilic archaea that were isolated from salt and salted skin samples, as well as bacterial and extremely halophilic archaeal reference strains. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of each of the SLs against known halotolerant and halophilic microorganisms were determined by the broth microdilution test method using resazurin dye. The extremely halophilic archaeal strains were most susceptible to the antimicrobial action of the tested SLs with MIC values as low as 3.42 ug/mL. Conversely, the endospore-forming halotolerant test strains, although susceptible to SLs, showed MIC values as high as 109.38 ug/ mL. The SL-o, SL-p, and SL-s each exhibited broad-spectrum activity, demonstrating growth-inhibition against ten salt-associated bacterial strains and three archaeal strains possessing proteolytic activity, lipolytic activity, or both properties. In addition, each of the SLs showed growth-inhibition against three bacterial reference strains and two extremely halophilic archaeal reference strains. The findings from this study suggest that SL-o, SL-p, and SL-s might be utilized as potential antimicrobial agents together with salt, contributing to the preservation of the leather industry\"s salted skins and hides.