Effects of salicylate on population density of Naphthalene degrading bacteria in the laboratory and soil

In the study of the effects of salicylate on population density of naphthalene degrading bacteria and heterotrophic bacteria in a sample of soil polluted with aromatic hydrocarbons, two different concentrations of salicylate (16, 160) μg/gr of soil incubated for 30 days. At 160 μg/gr, salicylate enhanced the density of naphthalene degraders and heterotrophic bacteria for 30 days. No changes in recoverable bacterial population densities were observed when soil samples were treated with 16 μg of salicylate gr-1. The activity of naphthalene oxygenase, specifically involved in naphthalene metabolism have been measured in the strain, Pseudomonas pseudomallei after incubation with salicylate. The results indicate that synthesis of naphthalene oxygenase is enhanced by salicylate