Biosurfactants
|
Email this
Print this
Ramkrishna Sen
This book will be published in
February of 2009 |
About this bookBiosurfactants are surface active amphiphilic molecules derived either through the route of microbial fermentations or through the in-vitro enzyme catalyzed reactions. Like synthetic surfactants, biosurfactants are also characterized by their ability to reduce surface tension or interfacial tension between immiscible fluid phases and to form micelles and reverse micelles at the critical micelle concentrations. They constitute an important class of environment friendly biotechnology products with tremendous potential for commercial and health-care applications. Biosurfactants have been very popular for their biodegradability, non- or mild toxicity and also for their potential commercial applications as spreading, wetting, foaming and phase dispersing agents in various industries, such as in paint, cosmetics, textile, agrochemical, food and pharmaceutical industries and as emulsifying and demulsifying agents in mining and mineral processing, enhanced oil recovery and environmental bioremediation. They have also been credited with an impressive list of potential therapeutic and prophylactic implications. Mostly, these amphipathic molecules, by virtue of hydrophobic or hydrophilic interactions, exhibit membrane active properties and hence, have been reported to possess antifungal, antiviral, antimycoplasma, immunomodulatory and antitumor activities. However, their practical use as therapeutic drugs is to some extent limited by their hemolytic activity and cytotoxicity towards normal animal cell lines. Furthermore, the low yields and productivities of biosurfactants, especially in fermentative processes, have restricted their exploitation in commercial processes. The current market demand for cost competitive and environment friendly alternatives to synthetic surfactants—particularly when an impending petroleum crisis is looming large—and the huge commercial potentials of biosurfactant research have encouraged us to undertake the challenge of publishing this book on ‘Biosurfactants’. We endeavor to not only highlight the progress made by the scientific community in this field of research, but also to critically analyze the lacuna to improve the commercial prospects of these wonder biomolecules, by resorting to novel screening methods, metabolic pathway engineering, process development and application strategies. |
|
Table of contentsPlanned List of Topics SECTION I. SCREENING AND GENETICS Screening concepts for the isolation of biosurfactant producing microorganisms Molecular genetics of biosurfactant synthesis in microorganisms Molecular engineering aspects for the production of new and modified biosurfactants SECTION II. REVIEWS ON APPLICATIONS Microbial surfactants and their potential applications: An overview Microbial biosurfactants and biodegradation Applications of biological surface active compounds in remediation technologies Biomedical and therapeutic applications of biosurfactants Microbial surfactants of marine origin: Potential and prospects Biosurfactants from yeasts: Characteristics, production and application Possibilities and challenges for biosurfactants uses in petroleum industry Biosurfactant and petroleum industry Bacterial biosurfactants and their role in MEOR SECTION III. BIOSURFACTANT PRODUCTION Selected microbial glycolipids: Production, modification and characterization Glycolipid surfactants: Alternative substrates and novel strategies Production of microbial biosurfactants by solid-state cultivation Biosurfactants: environmentally friendly production by yeasts Biosurfactants—Fermentative production and role in bioremediation
Rhamnolipid biosurfactant: Production and its potential in environmental
biotechnology Topic to be announced SECTION IV. ALTERNATIVE ROUTE OF PRODUCTION Enzymatic synthesis of biosurfactants SECTION V. EXAMPLES OF BIOSURFACTANTS Lichenysin—Chemistry, genetics and biosynthesis Surfactin: A versatile biosurfactant with tremendous commercial potential SECTION VI. BIOPHYSICAL ASPECTS Interaction of dirhamnolipid biosurfactants with phospholipids membranes
|
|