Microbial surfactants in nanotechnology: recent trends and applications

Abstract

The interest in nano-sized materials to develop novel products has increased exponentially in the last decade, together with the search for green methods for their synthesis. An alternative to contribute to a more sustainable approach is the use of microbial-derived molecules to assist nanomaterial synthesis. In this sense, biosurfactants (BSs) have emerged as eco-friendly substitutes in nano-sized materials preparation. The inherent amphiphilic and self-assembly character of BSs associated with their low eco-toxicity, biodegradability, biocompatibility, structural diversity, biological activity, and production from renewable resources are potential advantages over chemically-derived surfactants. In nanotechnology, these versatile molecules play multiple roles. In nanoparticle (NP) synthesis, they act as capping and reducing agents and they also provide self-assembly structures to encapsulation, functionalization, or templates and act as emulsifiers in nanoemulsions. Moreover, BSs can also play as active compounds owing to their intrinsic biological properties. This review presents the recent trends in the development of BS-based nanostructures and their biomedical and environmental applications. Fundamental aspects regarding their antimicrobial and anticancer activities are also discussed.

Graphical Abstract

Keywords:

• Biosurfactant
• nanoparticle
• nanomaterial
• nanostructure
• nanobiotechnology
• rhamnolipid
• surfactin

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this article.

Additional information

Funding

Authors thank to Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) Grant n° 2019/14405-9 for financial support.