Biosurfactants have aroused considerable interest due to the possibility of acquiring useful products that are tolerant to processing techniques used in industries. Some yeasts synthesize biosurfactants that offer antioxidant activity and thermal resistance and have no risk of toxicity or pathogenicity, demonstrating potential use in food formulations. The aim of the present study was to assess the use of a biosurfactant produced by Saccharomyces cerevisiae URM 6670 to replace egg yolk in a cookie formulation. The yeast was grown in a medium containing 1% waste soybean oil and 1% corn steep liquor. The biosurfactant was isolated using a novel method and was structurally characterized using FT-IR, NMR, and GC/FID. Thermal stability was determined using thermogravimetry (TG)/differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and antioxidant activity was investigated using three methods. Cytotoxicity tests were performed using the MTT assay with mouse fibroblast and macrophage lines. In the final step, the biosurfactant was incorporated into the formulation of a cookie dough replacing egg yolk. The physical properties and texture profile were analyzed before and after baking. The surface and interfacial tensions of the culture medium after the production process were 26.64 ± 0.06 and 9.12 ± 0.04 mN/m, respectively, and the biosurfactant concentration was 5.84 ± 0.17 g/L after isolation. In the structural characterization by NMR and FT-IR, the biosurfactant from S. cerevisiae exhibited a glycolipid structure, with the fatty acid profile revealing a high percentage of linoleic acid (50.58%). The thermal analysis demonstrated stability at the industrial application temperature, with the negligible loss of mass at temperatures of up to 200 • C. The biosurfactant was non-toxic to the fibroblast and macrophage cell lines, with cell inhibition less than 15%. The incorporation of the biosurfactant into the cookie dough did not alter the physical or physicochemical properties of the product after baking. In the analysis of the texture profile before baking, the substitution of egg yolk with the biosurfactant did not alter the properties of firmness, cohesiveness, or elasticity compared to the standard formulation. Therefore, the biosurfactant produced by S. cerevisiae URM 6670 has potential applications in the food industry as a replacement for egg yolk.

There has been considerable interest in the use of biosurfactants due to the diversity of structures and the possibility of production from a variety of substrates. The potential for industrial applications has been growing, as these natural compounds are tolerant to common processing methods and can compete with synthetic surfactants with regards to the capacity to reduce surface and interfacial tensions as well as stabilise emulsions while offering the advantages of biodegradability and low toxicity. Among biosurfactant-producing microorganisms, some yeasts present no risks of toxicity or pathogenicity, making them ideal for use in food formulations. Indeed, the use of these biomolecules in foods has attracted industrial interest due to their properties as emulsifiers and stabilizers of emulsions. Studies have also demonstrated other valuable properties, such as antioxidant and antimicrobial activity, enabling the aggregation of greater value to products and the avoidance of contamination both during and after processing. All these characteristics allow biosurfactants to be used as additives and versatile ingredients for the processing of foods. The present review discusses the potential application of biosurfactants as emulsifying agents in food formulations, such as salad dressing, bread, cakes, cookies, and ice cream. The antioxidant, antimicrobial and anti-adhesive properties of these biomolecules are also discussed, demonstrating the need for further studies to make the use of the natural compounds viable in this expanding sector.

This work describes the application of the biosurfactant from Candida bombicola URM 3718 as a meal additive like cupcake. The biosurfactant was produced in a culture medium containing 5% sugar cane molasses, 5% residual soybean oil and 3% corn steep liquor. The surface and interfacial tension of the biosurfactant were 30.790 ± 0.04 mN/m and 0.730 ± 0.05 mN/m, respectively. The yield in isolated biosurfactant was 25 ± 1.02 g/L and the CMC was 0.5 g/L. The emulsions of the isolated biosurfactant with vegetable oils showed satisfactory results. The microphotographs of the emulsions showed that increasing the concentration of biosurfactant decreased the oil droplets, increasing the stability of the emulsions. The biosurfactant was incorporated into the cupcake dessert formulation, replacing 50%, 75% and 100% of the vegetable fat in the standard formulation. Thermal analysis showed that the biosurfactant is stable for cooking cupcakes (180 °C). The biosurfactant proved to be promising for application in foods low in antioxidants and did not show cytotoxic potential in the tested cell lines. Cupcakes with biosurfactant incorporated in their dough did not show significant differences in physical and physical–chemical properties after baking when compared to the standard formulation. In this way, the biosurfactant has potential for application in the food industry as an emulsifier for flour dessert.

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The present study aimed to produce a biosurfactant from Candida yeast cultivated in a low-cost medium made of sugar-cane molasses (5%), frying oil waste (5%), and corn steep liquor (5%). Initially, the production at the flask-scale was investigated and then scaled up in bioreactors to 1.2, 3.0, and 50 L to simulate a real production scale. The products obtained an excellent reduction in surface tensions from 70 to 29 mN·m−1 in the flask-scale, comparable to 33 mN·m−1 in the 1.2-L reactor, to 31 mN·m−1 in the 3-L reactor, and to 30 mN·m−1 in the 50-L reactor. Regarding the yield, it was observed that the isolation by liquid-to-liquid extraction aided biosurfactant production up to 221.9 g·L−1 with a critical micellar concentration of 0.5%. The isolated biosurfactant did not exhibit an inhibitory effect on the germination of vegetable seeds and presented no significant acute toxicity in assays with Artemia salina and Allium cepa. Among the different formulations of mayonnaise-like sauces, the most stable formula was observed with the addition of the biosurfactant at a concentration of 0.5% and the greatest results were associated with the guar and carboxymethyl cellulose gums. Thus, the biosurfactant from C. bombicola represents a promising alternative as a food additive in emulsions.