Characterization, Production, and Applications of Lipopeptides - Biosurfactants: Research Trends and Applications - page 147

6 Characterization,

Production, and
Applications of
Lipopeptides

Catherine N. Mulligan

CONTENTS
Introduction ............................................................................................................ 147
Lipopeptide Biosurfactants .................................................................................... 148
Surfactin ............................................................................................................ 151
Surfactin Production .......................................................................................... 151
Lipopeptide Production Reactor Design and Optimization ................................... 154
Measurement and Characterization Techniques .................................................... 155
Genetics of Lipopeptide Production ...................................................................... 156
Extraction of Lipopeptides ..................................................................................... 157
Membrane Lipopeptide Recovery ..................................................................... 159
Strain Isolation ....................................................................................................... 160
Properties and Applications of Lipopeptides ......................................................... 164
Conclusion ............................................................................................................. 166
References .............................................................................................................. 167

INTRODUCTION
Surfactants are amphiphilic compounds that reduce the free energy of the system by
replacing the bulk molecules of higher energy at an interface. They contain a hydro-
phobic portion with little affinity for the bulk medium and a hydrophilic group that
is attracted to the bulk medium. Surfactants have been used industrially as adhesives;
flocculating, wetting, and foaming agents; deemulsifiers; and penetrants (Mulligan and
Gibbs, 1993). They are used for these applications based on their abilities to lower surface
tensions and increase solubility, detergency power, wetting ability, and foaming capac-
ity. Petroleum users have traditionally been the major users, as in enhanced oil removal
applications by increasing the solubility of petroleum components (Falatko, 1991). They
have also been used for mineral flotation and in the pharmaceutical industries. Typical
desirable properties include solubility enhancement, surface tension reduction, the
critical micelle concentrations (CMCs), wettability, and foaming capacity.

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