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Review
. 2023 Aug 10:4:xtad015.
doi: 10.1093/femsmc/xtad015. eCollection 2023.

Biotechnological potential of microbial bio-surfactants, their significance, and diverse applications

Renuka Kumari  1 , Lairenjam Paikhomba Singha  1   2 , Pratyoosh Shukla  1
Affiliations
Review

Biotechnological potential of microbial bio-surfactants, their significance, and diverse applications

Renuka Kumari et al. FEMS Microbes. .

Abstract

Globally, there is a huge demand for chemically available surfactants in many industries, irrespective of their detrimental impact on the environment. Naturally occurring green sustainable substances have been proven to be the best alternative for reducing reliance on chemical surfactants and promoting long-lasting sustainable development. The most frequently utilized green active biosurfactants, which are made by bacteria, yeast, and fungi, are discussed in this review. These biosurfactants are commonly originated from contaminated sites, the marine ecosystem, and the natural environment, and it holds great potential for environmental sustainability. In this review, we described the importance of biosurfactants for the environment, including their biodegradability, low toxicity, environmental compatibility, and stability at a wide pH range. In this review, we have also described the various techniques that have been utilized to characterize and screen the generation of microbial biosurfactants. Also, we reviewed the potential of biosurfactants and its emerging applications in the foods, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and agricultural industries. In addition, we also discussed the ways to overcome problems with expensive costs such as low-cost substrate media formulation, gravitational techniques, and solvent-free foam fractionation for extraction that could be employed during biosurfactant production on a larger scale.

Keywords: biodegradability; bioremediation; biosurfactants; eco-friendly; emulsifying agent; toxicity.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
The pathway of biosurfactant synthesis. A. Rhamnolipid biosynthesis in the genus Pseudomonas through the metabolic process of gluconeogenesis and fatty acid synthesis. dTDP (deoxythymidine diphospahtate) L rhamnose and 3-(3-hydroxy alkonoyloxy) alkanoateare the ultimate precursor for the synthesis of mono-rhamnolipid followed by di-rhamnolipidin case of bacteria express the gene RhlC. B. Surfactin biosynthesis occurs in the Bacillus sp. using sucrose as the main carbon source which results in the production of different amino acids- L-Valine, L-Leucine, L-Glutamate, and L-Aspartate, and Fatty acid. These components are assembled into surfactin in the presence of group of genes Sfp and srfABCDin Bacillus.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Enhanced bioavailability and biodegradation of hydrophobic pollutants through release of biosurfactant. IM (Inner Membrane), OM (Outer Membrane), HLH (Hyrophilic Head), HBT (Hydrophobic Tail).
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
(A) Large scale production of biosurfactant and its major two cost effective parameters, process optimization with suitable industrial strains. (B) Some of the important microbial strains produced maximum yield of biosurfactant in respect to specific substrate utilization under specific time and temperature (data obtained from Singh et al. 2019).
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