Chemical structures and biological activities of rhamnolipid biosurfactants produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa M14808

Jianfeng Zhao, Yanjie Wu, Akat

Abstract

P. aeruginosa M14808 was screened to produce rhamnolipid with high yield by mutation in a high magneto-gravitational environment. After silica gel columniation chromatogram, the components of the crude biosurfactant extract were analyzed by TLC, FTIR, and ESI-MS. The major components were characterized as rhamnolipids. The rhamnolipids consisted of two main types, mono- and di-rhamnolipids. Di-rhamnolipids showed significant anti-proliferative activity against human breast cancer cell line (MCF-7) at a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 1 μg/mL as opposed to a minimum inhibitory concentration of 5 μg/mL against human non-small lung cancer cell line (H460).