ARS | Publication request: SOPHOROLIPIDS - EMERGING MICROBIAL BIOSURFACTANTS

Submitted to: Inform
Publication Type: Trade Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: February 20, 2004
Publication Date: April 1, 2004
Citation: Solaiman, D., Ashby, R.D., Foglia, T.A., Nunez, A., Marmer, W.N. 2004. Sophorolipids - emerging microbial biosurfactants. Inform. 15(4):270-272.

Technical Abstract: Many bacteria, yeasts and fungi produce biochemicals or macromolecules that possess surface-active properties. Biosurfactants have expansive commercial potential; they have been indicated in a myriad of food and non-food applications, such as bioremediation, enhanced oil recovery, food thickening, herbicide and pesticide formulations, consumer products (e.g., detergents and cosmetics) manufacturing, lubricant formulations, and inhibition of microbial growth. Sophorolipids, a family of glycolipids secreted by several Candida or related yeast species, consist of a disaccharide linked to a hydroxy fatty acid via a glycosidic bond. Sophorolipids are a group of exciting emerging biosurfactants with many new product and application potentials. Continued research and development efforts on their bioprocessing technologies, post-production modifications and derivatizations, and metabolic pathway engineering should lead to breakthroughs that will facilitate commercialization.