Bacillus subtilis strain BIA was used for the production of bioactive lipopeptides. Different extraction and purification methods were assayed as liquid-liquid extraction, and acid and ammonium sulfate precipitation followed by TLC, SPE, and gel filtration. Active fractions were further purified using RP-HPLC. The molecular mass of the purified product from HPLC was determined through Tris-Tricine SDS-PAGE and MALDI-TOF-MS. The results revealed that Bacillus subtilis strain BIA produced surfactin and iturin like compounds. Coproduction of surfactin and iturin like compounds by this strain is a remarkable trait for a potential biocontrol agent. This paper also includeds techniques that have been developed for the optimal and convenient extraction of bioactive lipopeptides from microbial origin.
Keywords: Gel-filtration; Lipopeptides; MALDI–TOF-MS; Purification; RP-HPLC; TLC.