Microbial Biosurfactants as Cleaning and Washing Agents

Surfactants derived from microbes belong to the diverse group of surface-active metabolites which are secreted during their growth on hydrophobic substrates. The use of chemical surfactants as a detergent in different industries such as leather, petroleum, paper, dairy, cosmeceuticals, and pharmaceuticals is limited due to their hazardous effects on the aqueous and territorial ecosystem. This found the basis for the use of biosurfactants as a detergent for industrial and household applications. In recent years, the use of biosurfactants in the cleaning of storage tanks in petroleum industries, cleaning of membranes during ultrafiltration, and remediation of leather dust from the leather industry is increased. Different companies are manufacturing biosurfactant-based dish-washing agents. Some patents are also claiming the role of biosurfactants in hair and skin cosmetics. This chapter describes the chemical nature of biosurfactants, media composition required for microbial growth, genetic regulation and biosynthesis of surfactants, and the application of biosurfactants in different fields as cleansing agents.