What are biosurfactants?

Tensioactive metabolites

• Biosurfactants are microbial metabolites.
• These molecules have both a water-loving hydrophilic part, which is often a sugar or peptide, and an oil-loving hydrophobic tail.
• Like synthetic or conventional surfactants, they reduce the surface tension of liquids.
• Biosurfactants also easily accumulate at the interface of different phases and reduce interfacial tension.

Green

• Synthetic surfactants are made from petrochemical precursors that are finite. Thus a most attractive aspect of biosurfactants is that they can be made sustainably from plant-based materials, which serve as food for the biosurfactant-producing microbes.
• Biosurfactants also have low toxicity, especially to aquatic species, and good biodegradability.
• These characteristics make biosurfactants a truly green class of molecules fit to serve our 21st century, of increasing global environmental consciousness.

Function & Performance

• Stemming largely from their tension-altering properties, biosurfactants have diverse industrial and commercial uses. These include as agents in enhanced oil recovery (EOR), flotation processes, detergent formulations, bioremediation, germicides, and cosmetic and medical compositions.
• Biosurfactants show comparable performance as many types synthetic surfactants. Sometimes they show superior performance, depending on application.