Biomaterial Database

Environmental applications for biosurfactants. 2005

Catherine N Mulligan

Department Building, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Concordia University, 1455 de Maisonneuve Boulevard W., Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H3G 1M8. mulligan@civil.concordia.ca

Biosurfactants are surfactants that are produced extracellularly or as part of the cell membrane by bacteria, yeasts and fungi. Examples include Pseudomonas aeruginosa which produces rhamnolipids, Candida (formerly Torulopsis) bombicola, one of the few yeasts to produce biosurfactants, which produces high yields of sophorolipids from vegetable oils and sugars and Bacillus subtilis which produces a lipopeptide called surfactin. This review includes environmental applications of these biosurfactants for soil and water treatment. Biosurfactant applications in the environmental industries are promising due to their biodegradability, low toxicity and effectiveness in enhancing biodegradation and solubilization of low solubility compounds. However, more information is needed to be able to predict and model their behaviour. Full scale tests will be required. The role of biosurfactants in natural attenuation processes has not been determined. Very little information is available concerning the influence of soil components on the remediation process with biosurfactants. As most of the research until now has been performed with rhamnolipids, other biosurfactants need to be investigated as they may have more promising properties.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D010456	Peptides, Cyclic	Peptides whose amino acid residues are linked together forming a circular chain. Some of them are ANTI-INFECTIVE AGENTS; some are biosynthesized non-ribosomally (PEPTIDE BIOSYNTHESIS, NON-RIBOSOMAL).	Circular Peptide,Cyclic Peptide,Cyclic Peptides,Cyclopeptide,Orbitide,Circular Peptides,Cyclopeptides,Orbitides,Peptide, Circular,Peptide, Cyclic,Peptides, Circular
D002175	Candida	A genus of yeast-like mitosporic Saccharomycetales fungi characterized by producing yeast cells, mycelia, pseudomycelia, and blastophores. It is commonly part of the normal flora of the skin, mouth, intestinal tract, and vagina, but can cause a variety of infections, including CANDIDIASIS; ONYCHOMYCOSIS; VULVOVAGINAL CANDIDIASIS; and CANDIDIASIS, ORAL (THRUSH).	Candida guilliermondii var. nitratophila,Candida utilis,Cyberlindnera jadinii,Hansenula jadinii,Lindnera jadinii,Monilia,Pichia jadinii,Saccharomyces jadinii,Torula utilis,Torulopsis utilis,Monilias
D004787	Environmental Pollution	Contamination of the air, bodies of water, or land with substances that are harmful to human health and the environment.	Pollution, Environmental,Soil Pollution,Pollution, Soil
D004791	Enzyme Inhibitors	Compounds or agents that combine with an enzyme in such a manner as to prevent the normal substrate-enzyme combination and the catalytic reaction.	Enzyme Inhibitor,Inhibitor, Enzyme,Inhibitors, Enzyme
D006017	Glycolipids	Any compound containing one or more monosaccharide residues bound by a glycosidic linkage to a hydrophobic moiety such as an acylglycerol (see GLYCERIDES), a sphingoid, a ceramide (CERAMIDES) (N-acylsphingoid) or a prenyl phosphate. (From IUPAC's webpage)	Glycolipid
D001673	Biodegradation, Environmental	Elimination of ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTANTS; PESTICIDES and other waste using living organisms, usually involving intervention of environmental or sanitation engineers.	Bioremediation,Phytoremediation,Natural Attenuation, Pollution,Environmental Biodegradation,Pollution Natural Attenuation
D012989	Soil Pollutants	Substances which pollute the soil. Use for soil pollutants in general or for which there is no specific heading.	Soil Pollutant,Pollutant, Soil,Pollutants, Soil
D013501	Surface-Active Agents	Agents that modify interfacial tension of water; usually substances that have one lipophilic and one hydrophilic group in the molecule; includes soaps, detergents, emulsifiers, dispersing and wetting agents, and several groups of antiseptics.	Surface Active Agent,Surface-Active Agent,Surfactant,Surfactants,Tenside,Amphiphilic Agents,Surface Active Agents,Tensides,Active Agent, Surface,Active Agents, Surface,Agent, Surface Active,Agent, Surface-Active,Agents, Amphiphilic,Agents, Surface Active,Agents, Surface-Active
D014873	Water Pollutants	Substances or organisms which pollute the water or bodies of water. Use for water pollutants in general or those for which there is no specific heading.	Water Pollutant,Pollutant, Water,Pollutants, Water
D014876	Water Pollution	Contamination of bodies of water (such as LAKES; RIVERS; SEAS; and GROUNDWATER.)	Thermal Water Pollution,Water Pollution, Thermal,Pollution, Thermal Water,Pollution, Water,Pollutions, Thermal Water,Pollutions, Water,Thermal Water Pollutions,Water Pollutions,Water Pollutions, Thermal