title: Glycolipid biosurfactants: Potential related biomedical and biotechnological applications.
abstract: Glycolipids, consisting of a carbohydrate moiety linked to fatty acids, are microbial surface active compounds produced by various microorganisms. They are characterized by highly structural diversity and have the ability to decrease the surface and interfacial tension at the surface and interface respectively. Rhamnolipids, trehalolipids, mannosylerythritol-lipids and cellobiose lipids are among the most popular glycolipids. Moreover, their ability to form pores and destabilize biological membrane permits their use in biomedicine as antibacterial, antifungal and hemolytic agents. Their antiviral and antitumor effects enable their use in pharmaceutic as therapeutic agents. Also, glycolipids can inhibit the bioadhesion of pathogenic bacteria enabling their use as anti-adhesive agents and for disruption of biofilm formation and can be used in cosmetic industry. Moreover, they have great potential application in industry as detergents, wetting agents and for flotation. Furthermore, glycolipids can act at the surface and can modulate enzyme activity permitting the enhancement or the inhibition of the activity of certain enzymes.
authors.affiliation: Higher Institute of Biotechnology, Tunisia; Unit Enzymes and Bioconversion, National School of Engineers, Tunisia. Electronic address: inesmnif2011@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Mnif
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Inès
authors.affiliation: Higher Institute of Biotechnology, Tunisia; Unit Enzymes and Bioconversion, National School of Engineers, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Ghribi
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dhouha
mesh_terms: D001709:Biotechnology / Q000379:methods*; D006017:Glycolipids / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D013501:Surface-Active Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D006017:Glycolipids; D013501:Surface-Active Agents
keywords: Biomedicine; Biotechnology; Cosmetic; Detergent; Glycolipids; Pharmaceutics