Biosurfactants have a biological origin, and are widely known as surface active agents. Different classes of biosurfactant have significant importance in both the biotechnological and microbiological arena. Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus subtilis and Candida sp. are important classes of microorganisms that are highly investigated for the production of rhamnolipids (RLs) biosurfactants. Rhamnolipids have unique surface activity and have gained interest in various industrial applications. Due to their high biodegradability, renewability and functionally maintenance at extreme conditions, microbial biosurfactants are more advantageous than chemical-based biosurfactants. Biosurfactants produced by microorganisms are a potential candidate for biodegradation, environmental cleanup of pollutants and also play a role in the heavy metal removal of metallurgical industries also many patents have been filed. Therefore, greater attention has been paid to biosurfactants and identifying their potential applications for further studies.
Keywords: Bacillus sp; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Rhamnolipids (RLs); biodegradation; biosurfactant; hydrophobicity.
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