A comprehensive review on production of bio-surfactants by bio-degradation of waste carbohydrate feedstocks: an approach towards sustainable development

The advancement of science and technology demands chemistry which is safer, smarter and green by nature. The sustainability of science thus requires well-behaved alternates that best suit the demand. Bio-surfactants are surface active compounds, established to affect surface chemistry. In general, microbial bio-surfactants are a group of structurally diverse molecules produced by different microbes. A large number of bio-surfactants are produced during hydrocarbon degradation by hydrocarbonoclistic microorganisms during their own growth on carbohydrates and the production rate is influenced by the rate of degradation of carbohydrates. The production of such biological surfactants is thus of greater importance. This write up is a dedicated review to update the existing knowledge of inexpensive carbohydrate sources as substrates, microorganisms and technologies of biosurfactant production. This is an economy friendly as well as sustainable approach which will facilitate achieving some sustainable development goals. The production is dependent on the fermentation strategies, different factors of the microbial culture broth and downstream processing; these all have been elaborately presented in this article. Bio-surfactants are produced by hydrocarbon degradation by hydrocarbonoclastic microorganisms during their own growth on agro-industrial carbohydrate wastes. The production rate is influenced by the rate of degradation of carbohydrates.