Natural rubber microbial degradation

Natural mbber, the other natural hydrocarbon polymer, consisting mainly of cfr-l,4-polyisoprene is relatively resistant to microbial attack in comparison to other natural polymers. A number of micro-organisms have been reported to degrade natural rubber. An enzyme which degrades the mbber was isolated from the extracellular culture medium of Xanthomonas sp., and the erude fractions which are capable of depolymerizing natural mbber in the latex state have been reported.The same authors " reported on a Nocardia strain that used natural mbber as its sole carbon source. 

Tsuchii, A., Suzuki, T., and Takeda, K., Microbial degradation of natural rubber vulcanizates, Appl. Bnviron. Microbiol., 50, 965, 1985. 

Natural rubber is a polymer of isoprene units. As a naturally occurring polymer, it is subject to microbial attack especially in hot humid conditions. The microbial degradation may be accentuated by chemical oxidation. 

Linos A and Steinbuchel A. (1998) Microbial degradation of natural and synthetic rubbers by novel bacteria belonging to the genus Gordon, Kauchuk Gummi Kunstsoffe, 51, 496-499. 

Tsuchii A, Tokiwa Y (1999a), Microbial degradation of natural rubber , in Steinbiichel A, Biochemical Principles and Mechanisms of Biosynthesis and Biodegradation of Polymers, Wiley-VCH, 258-264. 

Up till now, the purpose of most studies has been to protect rubber products from microbial deteriorations. Waste disposal of used rubber and estimation of the degradation rate in the natural environment will become more important subjects from now onward. 

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