title: Microbial surfactants of marine origin: potentials and prospects.
abstract: Marine environment occupies the vast majority of the earth's surface and is a rich source of highly potent and active compounds. In recent years, microbial surfactants and emulsifiers have been reported from marine microflora. Surfactant and emulsifier molecules having diverse chemical nature such as exopolysaccharides, carbohydrate-lipid-protein complexes or glycolipopeptide, glycolipids, lipopeptides, phospholipids and ornithine lipids have been reported from various marine bacteria. These surface-active agents have been found to possess good emulsification and stabilization potentials for various lipophilic compounds such as aliphatic, aromatic and polyaromatic hydrocarbons and their uptake and degradation by the microorganisms. Few biosurfactant types such as glycolipids and lipopeptides have also been found to possess valuable biological activities. Surface-active agents from marine environments thus have tremendous potential to be used in industrial processes, for environmental remediation and as drugs.
authors.affiliation: Bioprocess and Bioproduct Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, West Bengal 721302, India.
authors.forename: Palashpriya
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Das
authors.forename: Soumen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mukherjee
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sivapathasekaran
authors.forename: Ramkrishna
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sen
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001688:Biological Products / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D004655:Emulsions / Q000737:chemistry; D052918:Environmental Restoration and Remediation; D006017:Glycolipids / Q000737:chemistry; D007221:Industry; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000737:chemistry; D008074:Lipoproteins / Q000737:chemistry; D008386:Marine Biology; D013501:Surface-Active Agents / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001688:Biological Products; D004655:Emulsions; D006017:Glycolipids; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D008074:Lipoproteins; D013501:Surface-Active Agents