Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Skim Latex Serum as an Alternative Nutrition for Microbial Growth

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Multifaceted Protocol in Biotechnology

Abstract

Malaysia is one of the biggest producers of natural rubber. The fresh latex, tapped from the rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis), known as field latex, is a cloudy white and viscous liquid containing rubber fraction and non-rubber components. As a basic raw material in rubber processing, fresh field latex undergoes a series of procedures during its conversion to either dry rubber, or high concentrated latex. To prepare high concentrated latex, ammonia is usually added to the field latex upon reaching the factories to prevent coagulation. Ammoniated latex will then undergo centrifugation which yield high concentrated latex and a by-product named ‘skim latex’. Skim latex is considered as low value by-product and usually discarded as waste effluent. However, it must be first treated in the oxidation treatment pond, before the clearer water can be released into the main waterways. In Malaysia, the discharged water must meet the strict requirements of MS ISO/IEC 17025:2005. Eventually, the rubber manufacturers have to spend a lot of money for waste management and effluent treatment of skim latex. Therefore, utilization of this wasteful skim latex is one of the economic saving measures and may minimize the environmental problems. This chapter aims at delibrating the use of the serum of skim latex as an alternative nutrition for culturing microorganism. As a model microorganism, this study has selected to use Bacillus lichenformis (ATCC 12759). Skim latex serum was used as the basal media, supplemented by some selected medium composition (lactose, galactose, casein, KH2PO4, MgSO4 and LB broth) for the production of extracellular protease. At the end of the study, it was demonstrated that skim latex serum is able to fulfill a criteria as an efficient culture media due to its abundance, low cost, stable in quality and having a stimulatory effect on bacterial growth. Therefore, valorization of this wasteful skim latex into protease enzyme is hoped to be an introduction for further inventions relating to processes suitable for microbial culturing.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Ahmed SA, Abdel Fattah AF (2010) Production of Bacillus licheniformis ATCC 21415 alkaline protease in batch, repeated batch and continuous culture. Malays J Microbiol 6(2):156–160

    Google Scholar 

  • Akcan N (2012) Production of extracellular protease in submerged fermentation by Bacillus licheniformis ATCC 12759. Afr J Biotechnol 11(7):1729–1735

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bhunia B, Basak B, Dey A (2012) A review on production of serine alkaline protease by Bacillus spp. Biochem Technol 3(4):448–457

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bradford MM (1976) A rapid and sensitive method for the quantitation of microgram quantities of protein utilizing the principle of protein-dye binding. Anal Biochem 72:248–254

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chi TS, Tung LL, Jong CS (2001) Purification and characterization of black porgy muscle Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase. Zool Stud 40(2):84–90

    Google Scholar 

  • Eifediyi EK, Ihenyen JO, Ojiekpon IF (2012) Evaluation of the effects of rubber factory effluent on soil nutrients, growth and yield of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.). Niger Ann Nat Sci 12(1):21–28

    Google Scholar 

  • Hien NN, Thao LT (2012) Situation of wastewater treatment of natural rubber latex processing in the Southeastern region, Vietnam. J Vietnamese Environ 2(2):58–64

    Google Scholar 

  • Ishizaki A (1991) Bacteria culture and fermentation using the same. United State Patent, 5,026,641

    Google Scholar 

  • Ishizaki A, Koike K, Noguchi K, Ando Y (1995) Natural rubber serum powder, an enhancer for the growth of Bifidobacterium. Fac Agric Kyushu Univ 39(3–4):125–129

    Google Scholar 

  • Ismail AI, Mohd Noor Z (2011) Effect of spray drying on protein content of natural rubber serum (NRS). IIUM Eng J 12(4):61–65

    Google Scholar 

  • Iyagba MA, Adoki A, Sokari TG (2008) Testing biological methods to treat rubber effluent. Afr J Agric Res 3(6):448–454

    Google Scholar 

  • Jayanthy T, Sankaranarayanan PE (2005) Measurement of dry rubber content in latex using microwave technique. Meas Sci Rev 5(3):50–54

    Google Scholar 

  • John CK (1978) Waste originating from agriculture and forestry. Lecture presented at the FAO/SIDA workshop on aquatic pollution in relation to protection of living resources, scientific and administrative basis for management measures. Food and agriculture organization of the United Nations. Aquatic Ecology, pp 1–458

    Google Scholar 

  • Kiddle JJ (1995) Quebrachitol: a versatile building block in the construction of naturally occurring bioactive materials. Chem Rev 95(6):2189–2220

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kresnawaty I, Andanawarih S, Suharyanto, Tri-Panji (2008) Optimization and purification of IAA produced by Rhizobium sp in latex serum media supplemented with tryptophan from chicken manure. Menara Perkebunan 76(2):74–82

    Google Scholar 

  • Mahat MS, MacRae IC (1991) Rhizopus oligosporus grown on natural rubber waste serum for production of single cell protein: a preliminary study. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 8(1):63–64

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mardina V, Yusof F, Alam MZ (2015) Statistical optimization of physichochemical factors for protease production by Bacillus licheniformis on skim latex serum effluent fortified media, Journal of Engineering Sciences and Technology. Special Issue 6 on The 27th Symposium of Malaysian Chemical Engineers (SOMChe 2014) in conjunction with the the 1st Regional Symposium of Chemical Engineering (RSCE 2014), pp 42–52

    Google Scholar 

  • McGavack J, Binmore GB (1930) Method for recovering quebrachitol from rubber latex serum, US Patent 1758616

    Google Scholar 

  • Mohamed N, Yusof F (2014) Experimental design and statistical analysis of protein buffer to purify hydrolases from the skim latex of Hevea brasiliensis. Adv Environ Biol 8(3):672–679

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nadeem M, Qazi JI, Baig S, Syed QA (2008) Effect of medium composition on commercial important alkaline protease production by Bacillus licheniformis N-2. Food Technol Biotechnol 46(4):388–394

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nuradibah MA (2012) Preliminary study on the production of bioprotein from skim latex serum and process growth optimization. Retrieved November, 15, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/27661

  • Ochigbo SS, Luyt AS (2011) Mechanical and morphological properties of film based on ultrasound treated titanium dioxide dispersion/natural rubber latex. Int J Lamposite Mat 1(1):7–13

    Google Scholar 

  • Ochigbo SS, Araga RAL, Suleiman MAT (2011) Comparison of two creaming methods for preparation of natural rubber latex concentrates from field latex. Afr J Agric Res 6(12):2916–2919

    Google Scholar 

  • Orhue ER, Osaigbovo AU (2013) The effect of rubber effluent on some chemical properties of soil and early growth of maize (Zea mays L.). Bayero J Pure Appl Sci 6(1):164–168

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Padmapriya B, Rajeswari T, Nandita R, Raj F (2012) Production and purification of alkaline serine protease from marine Bacillus species and its application in detergent industry. Eur J Appl Sci 4(1):21–26

    Google Scholar 

  • Rattanaphan O, Danwanichakul D, Danwanichakul P (2012) Reduction of protein content in skim rubber via both extractions in skim latex and from rubber films. In: 1st Mae Fah Luang University International Conference, pp 1–7

    Google Scholar 

  • Sevinc N, Demirkan E (2011) Production of protease by Bacillus sp. N-40 isolated from soil and its enzymatic properties. Biol Environ Sci 5(14):95–103

    Google Scholar 

  • Shafer WM, Katzif S, Bowers S (2002) Tailoring an antibacterial peptide of human lysosomal cathepsin G to enhance its broad-spectrum action against antibiotic-resistant bacterial pathogens. Curr Pharm Des 8(9):695–702

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Siswanto (1999) Characterization of protease from Bacillus sp isolated from natural rubber coagulum. Menara Perkebunan 67(2):26–36

    Google Scholar 

  • Soedjanaatmadja UMS, Subroto T, Beintema JJ (1995) The effluent of natural rubber factories is enriched in the antifungal protein hevein. Bioresour Technol 53:39–41

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Stanbury PF, Whiteker A, Hall SJ (2003) Principle of fermentation technology, 2nd edn. Butterworth–Heinemann, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Tan HT, Pillai KP, Barry DJ (1979) Possible utilization of rubber factory effluent on cropland. In: Proceedings of Rubber Research Institute of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, p 154

    Google Scholar 

  • Tang SN, Fakhrul-Razi A, Hassan MA, Karim M (1999) Feasibility study on the utilization of rubber latex effluent for producing bacterial biopolymers. Artif Cells Blood Substit Immobil Biotechnol 27(5–6):411–416

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tata SJ, Beintema JJ, Balabaskaran S (1983) The lysozyme of Hevea brasiliensis latex: isolation, purification, enzyme kinetics and a partial amino acid sequence. J Rubb Res Inst Malaysia 31:35–48

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tri-Panji, Suharyanto (2001) Optimization media from low-cost nutrient sources for growing Spirulina plantesis and caretenoid production. Menara Perkebunan 69(1):18–28

    Google Scholar 

  • Tunga R, Banerjee R, Bhattacharyya BC (2001) Optimization of some additives to improve protease production under solid state fermentation. Indian J Exp Biol 39:1144–1148

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Veerasamy D, Ismail AF (2012) Rehabilitation of fouled membrane from natural rubber skim latex concentration through membrane autopsy and ultra-sonication enhanced membrane cleaning procedure. Desalination 286:235–241

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Veerasamy D, Sulaiman NM, Nambiar J, Aziz Y (2008) Environment friendly natural rubber latex concentration by membrane separation technology. Retrieved June 28, 2011. http://www.membrane.unsw.edu.au/imstec03/content/papers/IND/imstec2008.pdf

  • Yousef AA, Carlstrom C (2003) Chapter 1: Basic microbiological techniques. In: Food microbiology. Wiley, New York, pp 5–12

    Google Scholar 

  • Yusof F, Abdullah L (1997) Purification and characterization of superoxide dismutase from Hevea brasiliensis latex. In: Proceeding of the 9th national biotechnology seminar, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia, pp 208–212

    Google Scholar 

  • Yusof F, Ward MA, Walker JM (1998) Purification and characterisation of an inhibitor of rubber biosynthesis from C-serum of Hevea brasiliensis latex. J Rubber Res 1(2):95–110

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yusof F, Amid A, Jimat DN, Nayan MY, Osman NO, Abdullah NAH (2006) Recovery of useful protease, cathepsin G, from the waste skim latex serum of Hevea brasiliensis, Kulliyyah of Engineering Research and Innovation Exhibition (KERIE 2006), IIUM

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. International Islamic University Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    Vivi Mardina & Faridah Yusof

Authors
  1. Vivi Mardina
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Faridah Yusof
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Faridah Yusof .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. International Institute for Halal Research and Training (INHART), International Islamic University Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    Azura Amid

  2. Department of Biotechnology Engineering, Kulliyyah of Engineering, International Islamic University Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    Sarina Sulaiman

  3. Department of Biotechnology Engineering, Kulliyyah of Engineering, International Islamic University Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    Dzun Noraini Jimat

  4. Department of Biotechnology Engineering, Kulliyyah of Engineering, International Islamic University Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    Nor Fadhillah Mohamed Azmin

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2018 Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Mardina, V., Yusof, F. (2018). Skim Latex Serum as an Alternative Nutrition for Microbial Growth. In: Amid, A., Sulaiman, S., Jimat, D., Azmin, N. (eds) Multifaceted Protocol in Biotechnology. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-2257-0_15

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation