Oil spills are a global environmental problem. One of the management tools used to solve this problem is phytoremediation, a process that uses the capacity of plants and microorganisms to metabolize the components of the oil. The aims of the present study were to isolate, identify and characterize the fungi obtained from plants growing in an oil-contaminated area and evaluate their growth response and emulsifying and degrading capacity in two petroleum derivatives (kerosene and lube oil). Four dark septate endophytes (DSE) strains were isolated and identified: Exserohilum pedicellatum, Ophiosphaerella sp., and two Alternaria alternata strains. E. pedicellatum was found in an oil-contaminated environment for the first time. All strains were grown in kerosene, although some showed inhibition, whereas in lube oil, all showed growth induction. Ophiosphaerella sp. showed "drops" in kerosene, but the four strains showed surfactant capacity in lube oil. Ophiosphaerella sp. showed the highest emulsifying activity index but both A. alternata strains presented the highest lube oil degradation, which was directly related to the weight of the fungal biomass. There was not relationship between emulsifying capacity and oil degradation. However, these fungi show technological potential for application in phytoremediation processes.
Keywords: Oil derivatives; bioremediation; dark septate endophytes (DSE); emulsifying activity.