Isolation of sodium benzoate-degrading bacteria from rice noodle manufacturing wastewater in Can Tho, Viet Nam
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Abstract
Diverse starch-based foods have been widely consumed. To keep the products in good quality, preservatives added are inevitable. Sodium benzoate is one of the most commonly used food preservatives for starch-based products. As an antimicrobial compound, high concentration of sodium benzoate present in water can pose risks to aquatic indigenous microbial communities. In this study, 27 sodium benzoate degrading bacteria were isolated from wastewater samples collected at three rice noodle production facilities. Isolates SB2.1, SB2.2, SB2.4, SB3.10, and SB3.13 demonstrated effective degradation of sodium benzoate at concentrations of 1250, 2500, and 5000 mg/L. Optimal degradation efficiency (>93%) at 1250 mg/L was observed when the isolates were grown in MM medium at pH ranging from 7 to 9. Notably, SB3.10 exhibited chemotaxis towards sodium benzoate after 24 hours of incubation. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing and biochemical characterization, SB3.10 was identified as Acinetobacter calcoaceticus SB3.10.
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