Cadmium induced effect on growth and physiology in halophilic phosphobacteria.

ABSTRACT

The chosen phosphobacterial species are well tolerated to the wide range of salinity (20-40 ppt) and found to be pure marine forms. Effect of different concentrations of cadmium on the growth, phosphate solubilising activity and content of extracellular macromolecules in eight species of phosphate solubilising bacteria were carried-out in the present study at optimum level of salinity and found that these activities are found maximum at lower concentrations of cadmium and further reduction in the activities were noticed at higher concentrations. The maximum content of total sugar was noticed in S. aureus at 1 ppm level of cadmium. The content of protein was found maximum in B. megaterium and M. roseus without the addition of cadmium and also the phosphate solubilizing activity was found higher in all the chosen phosphobacterial strains with the addition of cadmium.