Abstract:
Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) is a ty pe of biodegradable plastics which can be
synthesized by bacteria under limited nutrient and excess of carbon source. Three
Vibrio spp. were used for PHA production which were Vibrio alginolyticus, Vibrio
parahaemolyticus and Vibrio harveyi. In this study, five renewable and cheap carbon
sources were used for PHA production, namely molasses and sweetwater from sugar
cane refinery by-products, glycerol and glycerine pitch from oleochemical wastes
industry and lastly roselle wastes from roselle extraction industry to cut down the cost
production. Results showed that only V. alginolyticus is able to produce trace amount
of Poly-3-hydroxybutyrate, P(3HB), with the P(3HB) content of 3.57±1.89%(w/w) by
using glycerine pitch as carbon source. All other strains with different carbon sources
showed negative result on production of PHA.