Microbial biosurfactants as additives for food industries

Abstract

Microbial biosurfactants with high ability to reduce surface and interfacial surface tension and conferring important properties such as emulsification, detergency, solubilization, lubrication and phase dispersion have a wide range of potential applications in many industries. Significant interest in these compounds has been demonstrated by environmental, bioremediation, oil, petroleum, food, beverage, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries attracted by their low toxicity, biodegradability and sustainable production technologies. Despite having significant potentials associated with emulsion formation, stabilization, antiadhesive and antimicrobial activities, significantly less output and applications have been reported in food industry. This has been exacerbated by uneconomical or uncompetitive costing issues for their production when compared to plant or chemical counterparts. In this review, biosurfactants properties, present uses and potential future applications as food additives acting as thickening, emulsifying, dispersing or stabilising agents in addition to the use of sustainable economic processes utilising agro-industrial wastes as alternative substrates for their production are discussed.

Biosurfactants’ Production from Renewable Natural Resources: Example of Innovativeand Smart Technology in Circular Bioeconomy

“…The critical micelle concentration (CMC) is defined as the concentration of surfactant/biosurfactant at which organized molecular structures popularly known as 'micelles', are formed which relates the point at which the surface active compound attains the lowest but stable surface tension (SFT) further which there is no reduction in SFT values [14]. Thus characteristically formation of colloidal sized clusters in solution are generally known as 'micelle' which is happening due to the molecular structure of having both hydrophobic and hydrophilic moieties in each surfactant.…”

Lactic Acid and Biosurfactants Production from Residual Cellulose Films

“…Besides, biosurfactants from L. plantarum have been characterized and their ability as antimicrobial has been proved [12]. Biosurfactants can also be used in food industry as they can act as thickening, emulsifying, dispersing, or stabilizing agents [13].…”

Utilização De Planejamento Experimenttal Na Produção De Biossurfactante Pela Levedura Candida Tropicalis a Partir De Resíduos Industriais

“…Acredita-se que os biossurfactantes são secretados no meio de cultivo para auxiliar no crescimento do micro-organismo, facilitando o transporte e a translocação de substratos insolúveis através das membranas celulares (Campos et al, 2013;Kapadia e Yagnik, 2013). Por conter grupos hidrofóbicos e hidrofílicos, os biossurfactantes têm a capacidade de se acumular entre as fases dos fluidos, reduzindo assim a tensão superficial e interfacial nas regiões de superfície e de interface, respectivamente (Kapadia e Yagnik, 2013).…”

“…Por exemplo, em 2012, o mercado global de surfactantes químicos movimentou cerca de 12 milhões de toneladas do produto em comparação com 3,5 milhões de toneladas de biossurfactantes (Campos et al, 2013). Nesse sentido, o desenvolvimento de processos mais econômicos para a produção de biossurfactantes tornou-se o ponto chave para redução dos custos e aumento da competitividade.…”