Biosurfactants are amphiphillic surface active agents produced by microorganisms. These bioactive molecules are capable to reduce the surface tension between hydrocarbon and aqueous mixture. In recent years, use of biosurfactant by many industries was considerably increased due to cheap economical value, non toxic and biodegradable nature. Present study was aimed to investigate biosurfactant-producing bacteria residing in oil contaminated soil nearby oil filling stations. Overall, 86 oil degrading isolates was screened from various samples. Hemolysis assay, Adherence of bacteria to hydrocarbons (BATH), CTAB assay, Oil-spreading assay and Emulsification index assay was used to screen the biosurfactant production ability of isolates. Two isolates Kocuria rosea strain VB1 and Arthrobacter luteolus strain VB2 was selected for fermentation study by using sugar cane waste enriched with 5%, 10% and 15% glycerol concentration. 16s rRNA sequencing was used for bacterial strain identification. Fermentation results reported significant biosurfactant production at 5% and 10% of glycerol concentration by isolates. VB1 reduced surface tension upto 20% and 18% at 5% and 10% glycerol concentration, respectively. At higher concentration of glycerol (15%), production of biosurfactant significantly decreased that show the inhibitory effect of higher glycerol concentration. Arthrobacter luteolus strain VB2 reported 25% reduction in surface tension at 10% of glycerol concentration. At 5% and 15% glycerol concentration VB2 showed less reduction in surface tension. Results of present study indicate the future potential of isolated bacterial strains for environmental friendly applications.

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