Microbial Biosurfactants and their Environmental and Industrial Applications

Ibrahim M. Banat, Rengathavasi Thavasi, Ibrahim M. Banat, Rengathavasi Thavasi

• Editorial: CRC Press
• Año: 2019
• ISBN:
  9781351986045
• Edición: 1
• Categoría: Physical Sciences
• Categoría: Physical & Theoretical Chemistry

Microbial biosurfactants are green molecules with high application potential in environmental and industrial sectors. Chemical diversity of biosurfactants allows them versatility and broad range surfactants capability without compromising performanceor economic viability. Biosurfactants are used as emulsifiers, dispersants, wetting agents, oil recovery agents, biopesticides, stabilizers, solubilizers, and bioremediation agents (pesticide, heavy metals and oil spill cleanup). This comprehensive book on biosurfactants and their environmental and industrial applications offers a broad spectrum of information on potential applications of biosurfactants in various fields and related technological developments.

Contents

Preface

1 Introduction to Microbial Biosurfactants

Rengathavasi Thavasi and Ibrahim M. Banat

2 Downstream Processing of Microbial Biosurfactants

Rengathavasi Thavasi and Ibrahim M. Banat

3 Sophorolipids: Unique Microbial Glycolipids with Vast Application Potential

Richard D. Ashby and Daniel K.Y. Solaiman

4 Antimicrobial Applications of Rhamnolipids in Agriculture and Wound Healing

Soroosh Soltani Dashtbozorg, Krutika Invally, Ashwin Sancheti and Lu-Kwang Ju

5 Microbial Production and Applications of Mannosylerythritol, Cellobiose and Trehalose Lipids

Chandraprasad Madihalli and Mukesh Doble

6 Microbial Glycoprotein and Lipopeptide Biosurfactants: Production, Properties and Applications

Ana Belén Moldes, Xanel Vecino, Rodríguez-López L., Rincón-Fontán M. and José Manuel Cruz

7 Biosurfactants from Lactic Acid Bacteria

Surekha K. Satpute, Parijat Das, Karishma R. Pardesi, Nishigandha S. Mone, Deepansh Sharma and Ibrahim M. Banat

8 Biosurfactants from Actinobacteria: State of the Art and Future Perspectives

Marilize Le Roes-Hill, Kim A. Durrell and Johannes H. Kügler

9 Biosurfactants and their Applications in Petroleum Industry

Nayereh Saborimanesh and Catherine N. Mulligan

10 Natural and Microbial Biosurfactants’ Use in the Food Industry

Jenyffer Medeiros Campos, Ibrahim M. Banat Leonie Asfora Sarubbo

11 Biosurfactants in Cosmetic, Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Industry

Letizia Fracchia, Chiara Ceresa and Ibrahim M. Banat

12 Biosynthesis of Glycolipids and their Genetic Engineering

Sylwia Jezierska, Silke Claus and Inge Van Bogaert

13 Microbial Biosurfactants: From Lab to Market

Sophie L.K.W. Roelants, Lisa Van Renterghem, Karolien Maes, Bernd Everaert, Emile Redant, Brecht Vanlerberghe, Sofie L. Demaeseneire and Wim Soetaert

14 The Future of Microbial Biosurfactants and their Applications

Roger Marchant

Index

Preface

Surface-active molecules, otherwise known as surfactants, are chemicals that have key impacts on several aspects of our day-to-day living, as they are part of many daily products we use. These chemical surfactants mainly originate from petrochemical or oleochemical sources and are ingredients of household cleaning agents, laundry products, cosmetics, pharmaceutical, petroleum industries, environmental cleaning products and agro food processing industry. The worldwide use of surfactants has been steadily growing over the past few decades and is projected to further increase in the future. The fact is that most chemical surfactants have detrimental effects on the environment, both in sourcing and disposal, which has led to the search for alternative compounds with lesser overall impact. This shift in attitude towards biological surfactants (biosurfactants) during the past two decades has, therefore, been mainly driven by the search for environment friendly compounds and the sustainability agenda, which are becoming mainstream strategies. Many products using surfactants as an ingredient are now under investigation to see if part or all of these compounds can be substituted with sustainable biosurfactants, that is, surfactant molecules produced principally by microorganisms using sustainable renewable feedstock. This is because of the advantages they bring including relative stability at high temperature and in adverse environments, in addition to the added advantage of being readily biodegradable in the environment if, or when, discharged.

I started working with biosurfactants some 30 years ago while I was at the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research where I realised the significance of this research and the international interest and attention in this area of research, which was in its infancy, yet was beginning to show. This compelled me to persevere in this area of research while establishing an international network of collaborators and interested scientists working on biosurfactants. It was through this that some 15 years ago, I started collaboration with Dr. Thavasi Rengathavasi where together we published several papers related to our research on biosurfactants and established a strong collaborative relationship.

The main question one always keeps in mind is why do some microorganisms produce biosurfactants? The answer is not simple or straight forward, as these compounds appear to have several functions linked to the existence of these organisms. One of the apparent functions in microorganism that use hydrocarbon substrates for growth or exist in oily substrates is to make these substrates available for them to metabolise. Another role for biosurfactants includes the motility of bacteria in viscous environments. Some biosurfactants can also play a role in quorum sensing mechanisms of the cells, which adjust gene expressions depending on cell density or on the surrounding environment. There has also been evidence that biosurfactants play an important role in biofilm formation and maintenance mechanisms, inducing biofilm formation on the one hand and disruption of mature biofilms integrity on the other, to sustain channels for nutrient and gaseous exchanges to cells at the base of the biofilm. All the above-hypothesised functions of biosurfactants have been put forward for a number of bacteria; reasons why several yeasts, however, produce large quantities of biosurfactants remain not fully explained. One explanation for yeasts is the type of environment they grow in which may have waxes or high molecular weight hydrophobic molecules.

After many years in which interest in biosurfactants was mainly among researchers, a critical stage in biosurfactants’ potential commercial exploitation was reached when international companies began to show interest and a desire to explore use in some of their products. Using biosurfactants rather than chemical surfactants have deservedly become one of the top agenda items for many companies as a result of the sustainability initiative and green programs. Potential areas for use, therefore, began expanding rapidly and their beneficial outcomes have reached a stage to be dependent on whether biosurfactants can be tailored for specific applications, and whether they can be produced at a price that makes them attractive alternatives to chemical surfactants. Some issues, however, remain to be investigated and dealt with before largescale exploitation for many biosurfactants. These include cost of production, achievable yields and safety issues of producing strains such as the potential pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The fact that many biosurfactants have already been used as ingredients in several commercial products is a testimony to their potential for further exploitation. We, therefore, feel that there are no major impediments to the use of biosurfactants in a wide range of products and applications within the next few years, and may expect to see an increasing range of domestic products containing such products on supermarket shelves. There are limited consumer products around the world that already contain sophorolipids biosurfactants as an ingredient. These include cleaning and detergent products in Europe and the Far East, and some over-the-counter pharmaceuticals in the Far East. There is also a drive by some manufacturers aiming towards enhancing the green credentials of their product or hoping to target their product to specific sectors such as the vegan food markets that may enhance future interest.

Perhaps a measure of the current commercial interest in biosurfactants is the number and diversity of European Union-funded research projects that I have become involved with and that have major roles in biosurfactants research. These include, for example, the FP7 KILL.SPILL project, which examines the remediation of ...