Isolation of Carvacrol Assimilating Microorganisms

Blagica Schwämmle¹, Eleonora Winkelhausen¹, Slobodanka Kuzmanova¹* and Walter Steiner<sup>2

1</sup>Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy, University »Sv. Kiril i Metodij« Skopje, Macedonia
²Institute of Biotechnology, Technical University Graz Petersgasse 12/I, A-8010, Austria

Article history:
Received March 21, 2001
Accepted June 20, 2001

Key words:
selection, carvacrol, bacterial isolates, fungal isolates

Summary:
Several bacteria and fungi capable of assimilating carvacrol were isolated from the herbs oregano, thyme and savory, and pine tree (resin, bark and needles). When cultivated in a liquid medium with carvacrol, as a sole carbon source, the bacterial isolates from savory and pine consumed the carvacrol in the range of 19–22 % within five days of cultivation. The fungal isolates grew much slower and after 13 days of cultivation consumed 7.1–11.4 % carvacrol. Pure strains belonging to the bacterial genera of Bacterium, Bacillus and Pseudomonas, as well as fungal strain from Aspergillus, Botrytis and Geotrichum genera were also tested for their ability to grow in medium containing carvacrol. Among them, only in Bacterium sp. and Pseudomonas sp. carvacrol uptake was monitored. Both Pseudomonas sp. 104 and 107 consumed the substrate in the amount of 19 %. These two strains also exhibited the highest cell mass yield and the highest productivity (1.1 and 1.2 g/L per day).

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