A review on the physicochemical and biological applications of biosurfactants in biotechnology and pharmaceuticals

Recent advances in Emulsan production, purification, and application: Exploring bioemulsifiers unique potentials

Bioemulsifiers are compounds produced by microorganisms that reduce the interfacial forces between hydrophobic substances and water. Due to their potential in the pharmaceutical and food industries and their efficiency in oil spill remediation, they have been the subject of study in the scientific community while being safe, biodegradable, and sustainable compared to synthetic options. These biomolecules have high molecular weight and polymeric structures, distinguishing them from traditional biosurfactants. Emulsan, a bioemulsifier exopolysaccharide, is produced by Acinetobacter strains and is highly efficient in forming stable emulsions. Its low toxicity and high potential as an emulsifying agent promote its application in pharmaceutical and food industries as a drug-delivery vehicle and emulsion stabilizer. Due to the high environmental impact of oil spills, bioemulsifiers have great potential for environmental applications, such as bioremediation. This unique feature gives them a distinct mechanism of action in forming emulsions, resulting in minimal environmental impact. A better understanding of these aspects can improve the use of bioemulsifiers and environmental remediation in various industries. This review will discuss the production and characterization of Emulsan, focusing on recent advancements in cultivation conditions, purification techniques, compound identification, and ecotoxicity.

Synthesis of di-rhamnolipids by the avirulent, mono-rhamnolipid producing strain Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 9027

To construct a derivative of the avirulent Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 9027 that produces high levels of di-rhamnolipid, that has better physico-chemical characteristics for biotechnological applications than mono-rhamnolipid, which is the sole type produced by ATCC 9027. We used plasmids expressing the rhlC gene, which encodes for rhamnosyl transferase II that transforms mono- to di-rhamnolipids under different promoters and in combination with the gene coding for the RhlR quorum sensing regulator, or the mono-rhamnolipid biosynthetic rhlAB operon. The plasmids tested carrying the rhlC gene under the lac promoter were plasmid prhlC and prhlRC, while prhlAB-R-C expressed this gene from the rhlA promoter, forming part of the artificially constructed rhlAB-R-C operon. We measured rhamnolipds concentrations using the orcinol method and determined the proportion of mono-rhamnolipids and di-rhamnolipids by UPLC/MS/MS. We found that the expression of rhlC in P. aeruginosa ATCC 9027 caused the production of di-rhamnolipids and that the derivative carrying plasmid prhlAB-R-C gives the best results considering total rhamnolipids and a higher proportion of di-rhamnolipids. A P. aeruginosa ATCC 9027 derivative with increased di-rhamnolipids production was developed by expressing plasmid prhlAB-R-C, that produces similar rhamnolipids levels as PAO1 type-strain and presented a higher proportion of di-rhamnolipids than this type-strain.

Suspension of micro- and nanoplastic test materials: Liquid compatibility, (bio)surfactants, toxicity and environmental relevance

Micro- and nanoplastics have been detected in environmental compartments from the highest mountains to the deepest seas. They have been shown to be present at almost all trophic levels, and within humans they have been detected in numerous organs and human stool. Whilst their ubiquitous nature is indisputable, little is known about the health risks they may present. Much current research is focussed on the production of test materials with which to perform the necessary health studies. An important aspect of this is the correct storage and suspension of the materials to ensure they remain stable both chemically and with regards to size and shape. In this review, we look at the chemical stability of nine common polymers in a range of liquids; first with the use of commercial compatibility charts and then with a more quantitative approach using Hansen solubility parameters. We then look at stability with regards to particle agglomeration, whether and how stable compositions can be predicted, and which dispersants can be added to increase stability. Finally, we discuss the role of bio-surfactants and the eco-corona and how these may offer a route to both better stability and environmental relevance.

Screening biosurfactant-producing actinomycetes: Identification of Streptomyces sp. RP1 as a potent species for bioremediation

This study aimed to isolate biosurfactant-producing and hydrocarbon-degrading actinomycetes from different soils using glycerol-asparagine and starch-casein media with an antifungal agent. The glycerol-asparagine agar exhibited the highest number of actinomycetes, with a white, low-opacity medium supporting pigment production and high growth. Biosurfactant analyses, such as drop collapse, oil displacement, emulsification, tributyrin agar test, and surface tension measurement, were conducted. Out of 25 positive isolates, seven could utilize both olive oil and black oil for biosurfactant production, and only isolate RP1 could produce biosurfactant when grown in constrained conditions with black oil as the sole carbon source and inducer, demonstrating in situ bioremediation potential. Isolate RP1 from oil-spilled garden soil is Gram-staining-positive with a distinct earthy odor, melanin formation, and white filamentous colonies. It has a molecular size of ~621 bp and 100% sequence similarity to many Streptomyces spp. Morphological, biochemical, and 16 S rRNA analysis confirmed it as Streptomyces sp. RP1, showing positive results in all screenings, including high emulsification activity against kerosene (27.2%) and engine oil (95.8%), oil displacement efficiency against crude oil (7.45 cm), and a significant reduction in surface tension (56.7 dynes/cm). Streptomyces sp. RP1 can utilize citrate as a carbon source, tolerate sodium chloride, resist lysozyme, degrade petroleum hydrocarbons, and produce biosurfactant at 37°C in a 15 mL medium culture, indicating great potential for bioremediation and various downstream industrial applications with optimization.

Advances in the production of biosurfactants as green ingredients in home and personal care products

Home and personal care industry is currently witnessing a growing demand for sustainable and eco-friendly alternatives to synthetic surfactants. This increase is fueled by concerns over the delayed degradation and environmental impact of the latter. To this, biosurfactants possess important properties such as biodegradability, low toxicity, and renewable sourcing. These qualities position them as compelling replacements of traditional synthetic surfactants. Their diverse attributes including emulsification, antimicrobial efficacy, surface tension reduction, and foaming capability, make them well-suited choices for home and personal care products. Biosurfactants can be produced through several inexpensive and renewable sources which contributes to their commercialization potential. This article discusses various microbial derived biosurfactants including rhamnolipids, sophorolipids, mannosyl-erythritol lipids, trehalolipids and lipopeptides, unraveling and comparing their distinctive roles and advantages in the home and personal care industry. It also focuses on the recent patent innovations in the production of biosurfactants which have aimed at improving their economic viability and performance attributes. Finally, the article sheds light on the challenges and future trajectories for better integration of these sustainable biosurfactants into mainstream consumer products.

Production and characterization of rhamnolipids by Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated in the Amazon region, and potential antiviral, antitumor, and antimicrobial activity

Biosurfactants encompass structurally and chemically diverse molecules with surface active properties, and a broad industrial deployment, including pharmaceuticals. The interest is growing mainly for the low toxicity, biodegradability, and production from renewable sources. In this work, the optimized biosurfactant production by Pseudomonas aeruginosa BM02, isolated from the soil of a mining area in the Brazilian Amazon region was assessed, in addition to its antiviral, antitumor, and antimicrobial activities. The optimal conditions for biosurfactant production were determined using a factorial design, which showed the best yield (2.28 mg/mL) at 25 °C, pH 5, and 1% glycerol. The biosurfactant obtained was characterized as a mixture of rhamnolipids with virucidal properties against Herpes Simplex Virus, Coronavirus, and Respiratory Syncytial Virus, in addition to antimicrobial properties against Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecium), at 50 µg/mL. The antitumor activity of BS (12.5 µg/mL) was also demonstrated, with potential selectivity in reducing the proliferation of breast tumor cells, after 1 min of exposure. These results demonstrate the importance of studying the interconnection between cultivation conditions and properties of industrially important compounds, such as rhamnolipid-type biosurfactant from P. aeruginosa BM02, a promising and sustainable alternative in the development of new antiviral, antitumor, and antimicrobial prototypes.

Biotechnological Utilization of Agro-Industrial Residues and By-Products-Sustainable Production of Biosurfactants

The importance and interest in the efficient use and valorization of agro-industrial residues and by-products have grown due to environmental problems associated with improper disposal. Biotechnological production processes, including microbial biosurfactant production, represent a sustainable way to utilize agro-industrial residues and by-products, which are applied as substrates in these processes. Biosurfactants produced by microorganisms using renewable resources are a viable alternative to traditional petrochemical surfactants and have several potential uses in a wide range of industrial sectors due to their minimal ecotoxicity, easy biodegradability, and moderate production conditions. The common applications of biosurfactants, besides in food industry as food additives and preservatives, are in agriculture, environmental protection, the cosmetics and pharmaceutical industry, wastewater treatment, the petroleum industry, etc. This review aims to summarize the comprehensive scientific research related to the use of various agro-industrial residues and by-products in the microbial production of biosurfactants, as well as to emphasize the present state and the importance of their sustainable production. Additionally, based on the available biosurfactant market analysis datasets and research studies, the current situation in science and industry and the future perspectives of microbial biosurfactant production have been discussed.

A comprehensive review of biosurfactant production and its uses in the pharmaceutical industry

Biosurfactants are naturally occurring, surface-active chemicals generated by microorganisms and have attracted interest recently because of their numerous industrial uses. Compared to their chemical equivalents, they exhibit qualities that include lower toxic levels, increased biodegradable properties, and unique physiochemical properties. Due to these traits, biosurfactants have become attractive substitutes for synthetic surfactants in the pharmaceutical industry. In-depth research has been done in the last few decades, demonstrating their vast use in various industries. This review article includes a thorough description of the various types of biosurfactants and their production processes. The production process discussed here is from oil-contaminated waste, agro-industrial waste, dairy, and sugar industry waste, and also how biosurfactants can be produced from animal fat. Various purification methods such as ultrafiltration, liquid-liquid extraction, acid precipitation, foam fraction, and adsorption are required to acquire a purified product, which is necessary in the pharmaceutical industry, are also discussed here. Alternative ways for large-scale production of biosurfactants using different statistical experimental designs such as CCD, ANN, and RSM are described here. Several uses of biosurfactants, including drug delivery systems, antibacterial and antifungal agents, wound healing, and cancer therapy, are discussed. Additionally, in this review, the future challenges and aspects of biosurfactant utilization in the pharmaceutical industry and how to overcome them are also discussed.

Developments in small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) for characterizing the structure of surfactant-macromolecule interactions and their complex

The surfactant-macromolecule interactions (SMI) are one of the most critical topics for scientific research and industrial application. Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) is a powerful tool for comprehensively studying the structural and conformational features of macromolecules at a size ranging from Angstroms to hundreds of nanometers with a time-resolve in milliseconds scale. The SAXS integrative techniques have emerged for comprehensively analyzing the SMI and the structure of their complex in solution. Here, the various types of emerging interactions of surfactant with macromolecules, such as protein, lipid, nuclear acid, polysaccharide and virus, etc. have been systematically reviewed. Additionally, the principle of SAXS and theoretical models of SAXS for describing the structure of SMI as well as their complex has been summarized. Moreover, the recent developments in the applications of SAXS for charactering the structure of SMI have been also highlighted. Prospectively, the capacity to complement artificial intelligence (AI) in the structure prediction of biological macromolecules and the high-throughput bioinformatics sequencing data make SAXS integrative structural techniques expected to be the primary methodology for illuminating the self-assembling dynamics and nanoscale structure of SMI. As advances in the field continue, we look forward to proliferating uses of SAXS based upon its abilities to robustly produce mechanistic insights for biology and medicine.

Biosurfactant from Pseudomonas fragi enhances the competitive advantage of Pseudomonas but reduces the overall spoilage ability of the microbial community in chilled meat

Biosurfactants from Pseudomonas spp. have been reported to exhibit antibacterial and anti-adhesive properties, but their role during meat spoilage remains unclear. In this study, the biosurfactant was isolated from an isolate of Pseudomonas fragi with strong spoilage potential, and its surface tension and emulsification ability were determined. The chemical and microbial characteristics of the biosurfactant-treated meat samples were periodically analyzed. The results demonstrated that the biosurfactant produced by P. fragi could reduce surface tension and showed good emulsification properties. For the in situ spoilage trials, biosurfactant from P. fragi changed the microbial diversity on meat, helping Pseudomonas establish a dominant position in the population. However, biosurfactant treatment caused chicken meat to exhibit a weaker spoilage state, as indicated by the growth of psychrophilic microorganisms, total volatile basic nitrogen (TVBN) and meat color. These results provide practical information for understanding the role of P. fragi biosurfactant during chilled meat storage.

3D-printed biosurfactant-chitosan antibacterial coating for the prevention of silicone-based associated infections

Infections associated with the surfaces of medical devices represent a critical problem due to biofilm formation and the growing resistance towards antibacterial drugs. This is particularly relevant in commonly used invasive devices such as silicone-based ones where a demand for alternative antibiofilm surfaces is increasing. In this work, an antimicrobial chitosan-biosurfactant hydrogel mesh was produced by 3D-printing. The 3D structure was designed to coat polydimethylsiloxane-based medical devices for infection prevention. Additionally, the porous 3D structure allows the incorporation of customized bioactive components. For this purpose, two biosurfactants (surfactin and sophorolipids) were biosynthesized and tested for their antimicrobial activity. In addition, the printing of surfactant-chitosan-based coatings was optimized, and the resulting 3D structures were characterized (i.e., wettability, FTIR-ATR, antimicrobial activity, and biocompatibility). Compared with surfactin, the results showed a better yield and higher antibacterial activity against Gram-positive bacteria for sophorolipids (SLs). Thus, SLs were used to produce chitosan-based 3D-printed coatings. Overall, the SLs-impregnated coatings showed the best antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus planktonic bacteria (61 % of growth inhibition) and antibiofilm activity (2 log units reduction) when compared to control. Furthermore, concerning biocompatibility, the coatings were cytocompatible towards human dermal fibroblasts. Finally, the coating presented a mesh suitable to be filled with a model bioactive compound (i.e., hyaluronic acid), paving the way to be used for customized therapeutics.

Statistical Optimization of Biosurfactant Production from Aspergillus niger SA1 Fermentation Process and Mathematical Modeling

In this study, we sought to investigate the production and optimization of biosurfactants by soil fungi isolated from petroleum oil-contaminated soil in Saudi Arabia. Forty-four fungal isolates were isolated from ten petroleum oil-contaminated soil samples. All isolates were identified using the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, and biosurfactant screening showed that thirty-nine of the isolates were positive. Aspergillus niger SA1 was the highest biosurfactant producer, demonstrating surface tension, drop collapsing, oil displacement, and an emulsification index (E24) of 35.8 mN/m, 0.55 cm, 6.7 cm, and 70%, respectively. This isolate was therefore selected for biosurfactant optimization using the Fit Group model. The biosurfactant yield was increased 1.22 times higher than in the nonoptimized medium (8.02 g/l) under conditions of pH 6, temperature 35°C, waste frying oil (5.5 g), agitation rate of 200 rpm, and an incubation period of 7 days. Model significance and fitness analysis had an RMSE score of 0.852 and a p-value of 0.0016. The biosurfactant activities were surface tension (35.8 mN/m), drop collapsing (0.7 cm), oil displacement (4.5 cm), and E24 (65.0%). The time course of biosurfactant production was a growth-associated phase. The main outputs of the mathematical model for biomass yield were Yx/s (1.18), and μmax (0.0306) for biosurfactant yield was Yp/s (1.87) and Yp/x (2.51); for waste frying oil consumption the So was 55 g/l, and Ke was 2.56. To verify the model's accuracy, percentage errors between biomass and biosurfactant yields were determined by experimental work and calculated using model equations. The average error of biomass yield was 2.68%, and the average error percentage of biosurfactant yield was 3.39%.

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

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.