Biosurfactants and Their Potential Applications for Microbes and Mankind : An Overview

Aaisha Khan; Amna Butt

doi:10.5742/MEJB.2015.92757

Article Details

Biosurfactants and Their Potential Applications for Microbes and Mankind : An Overview

Authors:

Aaisha Khan | Amna Butt

Publisher:

medi+WORLD International

Main Topics:

Life sciences

Journal:

Middle East Journal of Business 2016 Vol.11 Issue 1, pp.9-18

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

1/2016

Document Language:

English

Document ID (Org No.):

82760

Frequency:

Quarterly

eISSN:

18348769

pISSN:

18348777

DOI:

10.5742/MEJB.2015.92757

Descriptors:

Keywords:

Abstract:

 Biosurfactants are surface-active compounds synthesized by a wide array of microorganisms. They are “amphipathic” molecules having both hydrophobic and hydrophilic domains. These are capable of lowering the surfacetension and the interfacial tension of the growthmedium. Biosurfactants have different chemicalstructures; lipopeptides, glycolipids, neutral lipids and fatty acids. They are non-toxic biomolecules that are biodegradable. Biosurfactants also exhibit strongemulsification of hydrophobic compounds and formstable emulsions. The low water solubility of these hydrophobic compounds confines their accessibility to microorganisms, which is a potential problem forbioremediation of contaminated sites. Microbiallyproduced surfactants enhance the bioavailability of these hydrophobic compounds for bioremediation. Therefore, biosurfactant-enhanced solubility of pollutants haspotential applications in bioremediation. Not only are the biosurfactants useful in a variety of industrialprocesses, they are also of vital importance to the microbes in adhesion, emulsification, bioavailability,desorption and defence strategy.

Article Details

Biosurfactants and Their Potential Applications for Microbes and Mankind : An Overview

Authors:

Aaisha Khan | Amna Butt

Publisher:

medi+WORLD International

Main Topics:

Life sciences

Journal:

Middle East Journal of Business 2016 Vol.11 Issue 1, pp.9-18

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

1/2016

Document Language:

English

Document ID (Org No.):

82760

Frequency:

Quarterly

eISSN:

18348769

pISSN:

18348777

DOI:

10.5742/MEJB.2015.92757

Descriptors:

MICROBES

MANKIND

SURFACE TENSION

EMULSIFYING

SURFACE PROPERTIES

FLUID BEHAVIOUR

BIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS

Biosurfactant

Biodegradable

Bioremediation

Bioavailability

Surface Tension

Surfactants

Specificity

Emulsification

Issues

Article Details

Authors: Aaisha Khan | Amna Butt

Publisher: medi+WORLD International

Main Topics: Life sciences

Journal: Middle East Journal of Business 2016 Vol.11 Issue 1, pp.9-18

Document Type: Article

Publication Date: 1/2016

Document Language: English

Document ID (Org No.): 82760

Frequency: Quarterly

eISSN: 18348769

pISSN: 18348777

DOI: 10.5742/MEJB.2015.92757

Descriptors:

Issues

Authors:

Aaisha Khan | Amna Butt

Publisher:

medi+WORLD International

Main Topics:

Life sciences

Journal:

Middle East Journal of Business 2016 Vol.11 Issue 1, pp.9-18

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

1/2016

Document Language:

English

Document ID (Org No.):

82760

Frequency:

Quarterly

eISSN:

18348769

pISSN:

18348777

DOI:

10.5742/MEJB.2015.92757