Sophorolipids Characteristics, Production, and Applications - Biosurfactants: Research Trends and Applications - page 114

Extraction of sophorolipids from the culture broth can be achieved by organic sol-
vents such as ethyl acetate, which is followed by hexane (preferred) extraction for the
removal of residual lipidic carbon. Some researchers also used pentene (Cavalero and
Cooper, 2003) or t-butyl methyl ether (Rau et al., 1996, 2001) for the secondary extrac-
tion. The elimination of additional water and impurities can be achieved by the addition
of polyhydric alcohols and subsequent distillation (Inoue and Miyamoto, 1980; Inoue et
al., 1980; Inoue and Ito, 1982).
APPLICATIONS OF SOPHOROLIPIDS
The sophorolipids are well recognized for their surface active properties and also
known as green surfactants or biosurfactants because they are produced by spe-
cific microorganisms. The application of surfactants occurs in various industries
including food, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and cleaning. Mostly, these surfactants
are produced by chemical means using petrochemical raw materials. Thus they are
not environmentally friendly in nature, and the use of such surfactants raise serious
ecological problems (Mann and Boddy, 2000; Mann and Bidwell, 2001; van Bogaert
et al., 2011). The ecological concerns like ecotoxicity, bioaccumulation, and biode-
gradability of surfactants are encouraging the use of biosurfactants instead of the
chemical one.
The Belgian company Ecover NV (http://www.ecover.com) and the Japanese
company Saraya Co, LTD (http://www.saraya.com) are working in the area of
biosurfactants and in manufacturing ecofriendly detergents and cleansing agents
(Futura et al., 2002; Develter and Fleurackers, 2007). The French company
Soliance (http://www.groupesoliance.com) and the Korean MG Intobio Co. Ltd are
also producing sophorolipid-based cosmetics and skin health products. Thus not
only academic research but also commercialization of sophorolipid-based prod-
ucts is occupying the market and shares. An intensive screening of bioactivities
of native or modified sophorolipid is required to exploit this molecule for more
commercial assets.
There are many reports available that suggest the potentials of sophorolipid as
an alternative to laundry detergents (Hall et al., 1996; Shin et al., 2010; van Bogaert
et al., 2011). Sophorolipids can be applied for in situ bioremediation and degrada-
tion of hydrocarbons present in porous media such as soils and groundwater tables
(Ducreux et al., 1997; Kang et al., 2010). They are used in the removal of heavy
metals from sediments (Mulligan et al., 2001). The sophorolipids can also be used
in secondary oil recovery and in the regeneration of hydrocarbons from dregs and
muds (Baviere et al., 1994; Marchal et al., 1999; Pesce, 2002). Furthermore, the
emulsifying property of sophorolipids can be used in the food industry to improve
the quality and storage especially in logistics (Akari and Akari, 1987; Masaru
et al., 2001).
One of the most potential applications of sophorolipids is its utilization in cos-
metics either as a passive or an active ingredient. The glimpse on the effectiveness
and success of the sophorolipid as cosmetics ingredient limits the production and