Agricultural Biotechnology Journal

Agricultural Biotechnology Journal

Lipid and FAME production by a locally isolated Bacillus velezensis from marine water for potential biodiesel applications

Articles in Press

Document Type : Research Paper

Author
Ismaal Jmia Abbs
Department of Biology, College of Education Al-Qurna, University of Basrah, Basrah, Iraq.
10.22103/jab.2026.27692.1985
Abstract
Objective
To investigate the ability of a marine isolate of Bacillus velezensis to accumulate microbial lipids and produce fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs), and to assess the potential of its fatty acid profile for biodiesel applications.
Materials and methods
A Bacillus velezensis strain was isolated from marine water collected from Basrah Province, southern Iraq. Initial identification of the isolates was performed using morphological and microscopic tests. Molecular identification was confirmed by PCR. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing, the selected isolate was identified as Bacillus velezensis, and its sequence was deposited in GenBank under accession number PV202546.1. To induce lipid accumulation in the bacterial cells, they were cultured in nutrient broth with added glucose (as an additional carbon source). The dried biomass and extracted lipid weights were 0.740 g and 0.148 g, respectively, corresponding to a lipid content of 20%. The extracted lipids were converted to fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) by acid-catalyzed transesterification and subsequently analyzed by FTIR and GC–MS.
Results
GC–MS analysis identified FAMEs representing 32.12% of the analyzed lipid extract. Saturated fatty acids accounted for 28.90%, whereas unsaturated fatty acids accounted for 3.22%. Methyl palmitate (C16:0) was the predominant FAME, representing 12.72%, followed by methyl pentadecanoate (C15:0) at 6.90% and methyl heptadecanoate (C17:0) at 4.91%. These results indicate a predominantly saturated fatty acid profile, which may contribute to favorable cetane number and oxidative stability; however, the relatively high degree of saturation may adversely affect low-temperature properties.
Conclusion
The marine isolate of Bacillus velezensis demonstrated the ability to produce biomass and accumulate lipids when cultivated in glucose-supplemented nutrient broth. The extracted lipids accounted for 20% of the dry biomass, while GC–MS analysis revealed a predominantly saturated FAME profile. These findings suggest that the isolate may represent a potential microbial feedstock for further investigation of biodiesel production. However, additional optimization of cultivation and lipid recovery conditions, together with direct assessment of biodiesel fuel properties, is required to confirm its practical potential.
Keywords
Bacillus velezensis
Biodiesel
Biomass of B. velezensis
fatty acid methyl esters
microbial lipids
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Agricultural Biotechnology Journal

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Available Online from 23 August 2026