Interdisciplinary Overview of Lipopeptide and Protein-Containing Biosurfactants

Abstract

Biosurfactants are amphipathic molecules capable of lowering interfacial and superficial tensions. Produced by living organisms, these compounds act the same as chemical surfactants but with a series of improvements, the most notable being biodegradability. Biosurfactants have a wide diversity of categories. Within these, lipopeptides are some of the more abundant and widely known. Protein-containing biosurfactants are much less studied and could be an interesting and valuable alternative. The harsh temperature, pH, and salinity conditions that target organisms can sustain need to be understood for better implementation. Here, we will explore biotechnological applications via lipopeptide and protein-containing biosurfactants. Also, we discuss their natural role and the organisms that produce them, taking a glimpse into the possibilities of research via meta-omics and machine learning.

Characterization of Bacillus Strains from Natural Honeybee Products with High Keratinolytic Activity and Antimicrobial Potential

“…Lipopeptides, that act through the disruption of membranes, are a particularly important source of antimicrobials, as it is less likely that resistance will develop towards them compared to other antibiotics. However, because of their toxicity, their use as therapeutics has been limited to mainly topical agents [ 51 ]. Well-known lipopeptides produced from Bacillus species include surfactin, fengysin and lichenysin, which have powerful antibacterial and antiviral properties [ 52 ].…”

Water-Based Bi2S3 Nano-Inks Obtained with Surfactant-Assisted Liquid Phase Exfoliation and Their Direct Processing into Thin Films

“…It has been reported that controlling the concentration of the surfactants less than their critical micelle concentration (CMC) can result in better-quality exfoliated samples, while other studies reached contradictory conclusions [30,31]. In our study, we set the concentrations from 8.2 mM to 0.5 mM for all the surfactants for better comparison, considering that the CMCs of SDS, SDBS and SHS are 8.2, 2.7 and 0.55 mM, respectively [32][33][34][35]. By assessing the band gap, stability and yield of the exfoliated Bi 2 S 3 , it is found that SHS results in the largest band gap and yield, while the colloidal suspension is more stable with SDBS.…”

Biotechnological potential of microbial bio-surfactants, their significance, and diverse applications

“…Surface tension can be readily reduced by biosurfactants at higher temperatures, but it is more difficult to do so in low-temperature conditions. To overcome the temperature barrier and reduce surface tension, it is, therefore, reasonable to deduce that microorganisms from cold environments will have a longer, less-branched hydrophobic chain (Antonioli Júnior et al 2022 ). Depending on the environment's temperature, pressure, pH, structure, and level of solution stability, lipopeptides' emulsification capabilities might vary (Kumar and Ngueagni 2021 ).…”