Halophile

Halophile the halophile comes from a Greek word for 'salt-loving' The organisms that can grow in saline conditions are halophiles, and they can live in high salinity, more than in the sea. Halophiles can be found in hypersaline habitats, extensively disseminated in diverse ecological areas such as saline soils, salt marshes, salt pans, or saline lakes. Halophiles are located in the domain archaea with some eukaryotic species, namely, Dunaliella salina (alga); Chromohalobacter beijerinckii, Tetragenococcus halophilus (bacteria), and Wallemia ichthyophaga (fungus).

Halophiles are classified according to NaCl concentrations which are as follows: (a) 0.2–0.85 M (1–5%): Slight halophiles. (b) 2. 0.85–3.4 M (5–20%): Moderate halophiles and (c) 3. 3.4–5.1 M (20–30%): Extreme halophiles.

On the other hand, non-halophilic microorganism grows at NaCl concentrations <0.2 M (1%). The growth of halotolerant microorganisms can be maintained in the presence or absence of high salt concentrations. Halophiles can grow under aerobic or anaerobic conditions by using a variety of energy sources.

Importance Halophiles are frequently used in the fermentation of salty foods, such as sauerkraut, salted cod, Chinese fermented beans, soya sauce, salted anchovies, etc., as necessary ingredients or unintentional contaminants. For example, in salted beans preserved in brine and salted herring, Chromohalobacter beijerinckii was found, and in soy sauce and salted anchovies, Tetragenococcus halophilus was found. Halophilic and halotolerant organisms can grow in a broad range of salt concentrations. The salt prerequisite occasionally depends on nutritional and environmental factors, making them the best option for biofuel production and other industrial processes. [Mohammed Almujaddade Alfasane]