Assessment of polyhydroxyalkanoate synthesis in submerged cultivation of Cupriavidus necator and Burkholderia cepacia strains using soybean as substrate

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) are biocompatible and biodegradable polyesters produced by prokaryotic microbes for energy storage and carbon reserve. These polymers are an option to diminish the massive impact caused by inadequate disposal of synthetic plastics. In this study, evaluation and characterization of PHA produced by Cupriavidus necator (IPT 026 and IPT 027) and Burkholderia cepacia (IPT 119 and IPT 400), using soybean as substrate, were carried out (soybean 15 g L^-1, pH 7.0, 150 rpm, 72 hours). The highest polymer production was achieved using IPT 027 (0.84 ± 0.07 g L^-1). All PHA produced showed the characteristic bands of polyester functional groups in the FTIR spectra. Polymers synthesized by Cupriavidus necator exhibited initial temperatures of degradation superior to 300 deg C and higher molecular weights than the ones produced by Burkholderia cepacia, which in turn, exhibited lower crystallinity (inferior to 30%), revealing high influence of the microorganism strain on PHA properties and production (author)