Effects of Salicylate on Population Density of Naphthalene Degrading Bacteria in the Laboratory and Soil

Abstract

In the study of the effects of salicylate on population density of
naphthalene degrading bacteria and heterotrophic bacteria in a
sample or: soil polluted with aromatic hydrocarbons, two different
concentrations of salicylate (16, 160) ?g / gr of soil incubated for
30 days. At 160 ?g / gr, salicylate enhanced the density of
naphthalene degraders and heterotrophic bacteria for 30 days. No
chenges in recoverable bacterial population densities were observed
when soil samples were treated with 16 ?g of salicylate gr .The
activity of naphthalene oxygenase, specifically involved in
naphthalene metabolism have been measured In the strain,
Pseudomonas pseudomallei after incubation with salicylate. The
results indicate that synthesis of naphthalene oxygenase is enhanced
by salicylate.