Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Production of Biosurfactants
Using Eco-friendly Microorganisms
Chibuzo Uzoigwe , Christopher J. Ennis ,
and Pattanathu K. S. M. Rahman
Abstract
Pathogenicity of biosurfactant-producing microorganisms is currently
raising some health, safety and environmental concerns. As a result, the
industrial-scale production and application of biosurfactants as potential
alternatives to the synthetic one is still an unachieved task. The production
of biosurfactants using nonpathogenic/recombinant strains requires more
attention and investigation for some advantages that includes the discov-
ery of non-toxic biosurfactants suitable for all industrial applications,
identifying new biosurfactant congeners with better inherent surface-
active properties compared to that from pathogens and synthetic ones and
the synthesis of biosurfactant without complex metabolic regulations.
Although a number of nonpathogenic/recombinant, eco-friendly
biosurfactant-producing strains have been documented, there is need for
more research in this area focusing especially on improved biosurfactant
production by these strains using optimisation processes and the discovery
of new nonpathogenic/recombinant strains using molecular techniques for
future sustainability.
Keywords
Bioremediation Biosurfactants Recombinant strains Rhamnolipids
1
Introduction
fungi. Originally, the majority of the surfactants
used in the industries today are petrochemical
based, and these surfactants are not only par-
tially biodegradable but are also toxic to living
organisms and have contributed to a wide range
of environmental hazards. In addition, the pro-
duction of these petrochemical-based surfactants
contributes to the depletion of the world's
non-renewable petrochemical resources. It has
been reported that the worldwide production of
Biosurfactants are surfactants of microbial ori-
gin which can be synthesised by several identi-
fi ed microorganisms including bacteria, yeast and
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