Biosurfactants are surface-active agents produced by biological systems, mainly microorganisms. They contain both hydrophilic and hydrophobic moieties that which remain distributed at the interfaces between liquid phases with different degrees of polarity (oil/water), causing a reduction in both surface and interfacial tension which is an important aspect of lubrication and solubilization.
The structure and characteristic of the biosurfactants varies from one organism to another. They are easily degraded by bacteria in water and soil, hence they are appropriate for use in bioremediation processes. Biosurfactants are classified into five major groups:
- Glycolipids, like rhamnolipids produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa and sophorolipids from Candida
- Lipopeptides produced by Bacillus subtilis
- Lipopolysaccharides, from Acinetobacter calcoaceticus
- Phospholipids, obtained from Corynebacterium lepus
- Fatty acids and neutral lipids
lin-chemical.com 