Biosurfactant Activity Research Articles

Extraction and purification of biosurfactant by locally isolated Enterococcus faecium bacteria and study of its antimicrobial activity

In this research, the biosurfactant production by Enterococcus faecium isolated from Raw cow's milk was studied when growing in the MRS medium containing Lactose as a carbon source without Tween-80. E.faecium supernatant exhibited emulsion action of 60% towards kerosene oil as oil in water, while the surface activity was 34 mm. Biosurfactants with surface tension activity properties were extracted and partially purified from E. faecium by cold acetone 3:1, The chemistry structure of the biosurfactant was analyzed, which indicated that it is a glycol-lipo-peptide. Biosurfactant that purified from E. faecium showed antibacterial activity by reducing growth of several pathogenic G-ve and G+ve bacteria, including aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Streptococcus sp., Staphylococcus Escherichia coli, Klebsiella sp., Pseudomonas aeroginosa, Acinetobacter sp. and Serratia sp. The inhibitory activity of biosurfactant against pathogenic bacteria was studied by using agar diffusion method, where the biosurfactant had higher inhibitor activity against E. coli, where highest diameter of inhibition zone was (23mm). At all concentrations examined, a biosurfactant derived from E. faecium considerably decreased bacterial adhesion, albeit to a lower amount. Keyword: Enterococcus faecium, LAB, Biosurfactant, Antibacterial and Antiadhesive activity.

Structural and compositional diversity of biosurfactants produced by a novel strain of Sporosarcina luteola ME44 from oil reservoir.

The urealytically active microorganism Sporosarcina luteola induces the precipitation of metals, which has attracted attention in biomineralization, bioremediation, and industrial waste recycling. Herein, we report a novel biosurfactant-producing strain of S. luteola ME44 isolated from Chinese Oilfield. The structure, composition, and surface activity of the biosurfactants produced by S. luteola ME44 were investigated by using a combination of the high-performance liquid chromatography, time-of-flight mass spectrometry, and surface tensiometer. The biosurfactant extracted by strain ME44 was identified as surfactin with five variants and the yield was 1010±60mg⋅L-1 . This is the first report on the structural composition and surface activity of biosurfactants isolated from the S. luteola. It extended our knowledge about the role of the species S. luteola in the ecosystem of extreme natural environments such as oil reservoir. In addition, S. luteola ME44 showed bioprecipitation properties for metal ions Cd(II), Cu(II), Zn(II), and Ag(I), which indicated the application potential of S. luteola in the field of bioremediation.

Biosurfactant potential and antiviral activity of multistrain probiotics

The COVID-19 caused by the SARS-CoV-2 has become a great threat to humans. However, there is no recommendation for an effective and safe drug to treat the disease. The strategy developed in this study is to utilize biosurfactant potential activity of Lactobacillus spp. and Rhodopseudomonas palustris probiotics to prevent the virus from entering human body. The outer membrane of the virus is comprising of phospholipid compounds. Biosurfactants, are known to have detergent-like properties (able to dissolve lipids) that are safe for in vivo use. Thus, the biosurfactant potential activity of the multistrain probiotics extract is expected to be able to disrupt the phospholipid membrane, resulting in the inactivity of the virus to infect human body. The biosurfactant potential activity of the probiotics extract was evaluated using oil spreading, drop collapse, and emulsification methods. The virus infectivity was evaluated on the SARS-CoV-2 of delta variant as a virus model. The results indicated that the probiotics extract has biosurfactant potential activity, able to inhibit virus growth up to 99.9 % within 48 h in the prevention platform, and up to 99.6 % within 48 h in the treatment platform. Therefore, the multistrain probiotics extract was identified to have potential as a promising antiviral agent.

Larvicidal and anti-termite activities of microbial biosurfactant produced by Enterobacter cloacae SJ2 isolated from marine sponge Clathria sp.

The widespread use of synthetic pesticides has resulted in a number of issues, including a rise in insecticide-resistant organisms, environmental degradation, and a hazard to human health. As a result, new microbial derived insecticides that are safe for human health and the environment are urgently needed. In this study, rhamnolipid biosurfactants produced from Enterobacter cloacae SJ2 was used to evaluate the toxicity towards mosquito larvae (Culex quinquefasciatus) and termites (Odontotermes obesus). Results showed dose dependent mortality rate was observed between the treatments. The 48 h LC50 (median lethal concentration) values of the biosurfactant were determined for termite and mosquito larvae following the non-linear regression curve fit method. Results showed larvicidal activity and anti-termite activity of biosurfactants with 48 h LC50 value (95% confidence interval) of 26.49 mg/L (25.40 to 27.57) and 33.43 mg/L (31.09 to 35.68), respectively. According to a histopathological investigation, the biosurfactant treatment caused substantial tissue damage in cellular organelles of larvae and termites. The findings of this study suggest that the microbial biosurfactant produced by E. cloacae SJ2 is an excellent and potentially effective agent for controlling Cx. quinquefasciatus and O. obesus.

Extraction, Antibiofilm Activity and Characterization of Biosurfactant Produced by Limosilactobacillus reuteri IDCC 3701

Aims: This study aimed to extract and characterize a biosurfactant produced by Limosilactobacillus reuteri IDCC 3701, assess its emulsifying activity against crude oil, and investigate its antibiofilm properties against major foodborne pathogens.
 Methodology: The biosurfactant, named I-BS, was extracted from the cell-free supernatant of Limosilactobacillus reuteri IDCC 3701 using acid precipitation. The emulsification index, emulsifying activity, oil spreading test, drop collapse test, and microplate distortion assay were performed to evaluate the surfactant properties of I-BS. The antibiofilm activity of I-BS against foodborne pathogens was assessed using the Calgary Biofilm Device. Finally, the cell-free supernatant of Limosilactobacillus reuteri IDCC 3701 was subjected to GC-MS analysis.
 Results: I-BS demonstrated an emulsification index of 49.4% and emulsifying activity of 400.67, indicating its potential as an effective emulsifier for oils. Positive results were observed in the oil spreading test and microplate distortion assay, confirming its surfactant properties. Additionally, I-BS exhibited significant antibiofilm activity against foodborne pathogens. GC-MS analysis of the I-BS structure revealed the presence of octanoic acid, a surfactant compound.
 Conclusion: The biosurfactant I-BS, derived from Limosilactobacillus reuteri IDCC 3701, displayed promising emulsifying activity and demonstrated notable antibiofilm properties against foodborne pathogens. These findings suggest that I-BS holds potential as a lead compound for the development of novel anti-biofilm agents and additives in the food industry.

Biosurfactant from Nile Papyrus endophyte with potential antibiofilm activity against global clones of Acinetobacter baumannii.

Acinetobacter baumannii is a leading cause of biofilm-associated infections, particularly catheter-related bloodstream infections (CRBSIs) that are mostly recalcitrant to antimicrobial therapy. One approach to reducing the burden of CRBSIs is inhibiting biofilm formation on catheters. Owing to their prodigious microbial diversity, bacterial endophytes might be a valuable source of biosurfactants, which are known for their great capacity to disperse microbial biofilms. With this in mind, our study aimed to screen bacterial endophytes from plants growing on the banks of the River Nile for the production of powerful biosurfactants capable of reducing the ability of A. baumannii to form biofilms on central venous catheters (CVCs). This was tested on multidrug- and extensive drug-resistant (M/XDR) clinical isolates of A. baumannii that belong to high-risk global clones and on a standard strain of A. baumannii ATCC 19606. The drop collapse and oil dispersion assays were employed in screening the cell-free supernatants (CFS) of all endophytes for biosurfactant activity. Of the 44 bacterial endophytes recovered from 10 plants, the CFS of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens Cp24, isolated from Cyperus papyrus, showed the highest biosurfactant activity. The crude biosurfactant extract of Cp24 showed potent antibacterial activity with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) ranging from 0.78 to 1.56 mg/ml. It also showed significant antibiofilm activity (p-value<0.01). Sub-MICs of the extract could reduce biofilm formation by up to 89.59%, while up to 87.3% of the preformed biofilms were eradicated by the MIC. A significant reduction in biofilm formation on CVCs impregnated with sub-MIC of the extract was demonstrated by CV assay and further confirmed by scanning electron microscopy. This was associated with three log10 reductions in adhered bacteria in the viable count assay. GC-MS analysis of the crude biosurfactant extract revealed the presence of several compounds, such as saturated, unsaturated, and epoxy fatty acids, cyclopeptides, and 3-Benzyl-hexahydro-pyrrolo [1, 2-a] pyrazine-1,4-dione, potentially implicated in the potent biosurfactant and antibiofilm activities. In the present study, we report the isolation of a B. amyloliquefaciens endophyte from the plant C. papyrus that produces a biosurfactant with potent antibiofilm activity against MDR/XDR global clones of A. baumannii. The impregnation of CVCs with the biosurfactant was demonstrated to reduce biofilms and, hence, proposed as a potential strategy for reducing CRBSIs.

Characterization of trehalolipid biosurfactant produced by the novel marine strain Rhodococcus sp. SP1d and its potential for environmental applications

BackgroundBiosurfactants are surface-active compounds with environmental and industrial applications. These molecules show higher biocompatibility, stability and efficiency compared to synthetic surfactants. On the other hand, biosurfactants are not cost-competitive to their chemical counterparts. Cost effective technology such as the use of low-cost substrates is a promising approach aimed at reducing the production cost. This study aimed to evaluate the biosurfactant production and activity by the novel strain Rhodococcus sp. SP1d by using different growth substrates. Therefore, to exploit the biosurfactant synthesized by SP1d for environmental applications, the effect of this compound on the bacteria biofilm formation was evaluated. Eventually, for a possible bioremediation application, the biosurfactant properties and its chemical characteristics were investigated using diesel as source of carbon.ResultsRhodococcus sp. SP1d evidence the highest similarity to Rhodococcus globerulus DSM 43954T and the ability to biosynthesize surfactants using a wide range of substrates such as exhausted vegetable oil, mineral oil, butter, n-hexadecane, and diesel. The maximum production of crude biosurfactant after 10 days of incubation was reached on n-hexadecane and diesel with a final yield of 2.38 ± 0.51 and 1.86 ± 0.31 g L− 1 respectively. Biosurfactants produced by SP1d enhanced the biofilm production of P. protegens MP12. Moreover, the results showed the ability of SP1d to produce biosurfactants on diesel even when grown at 10 and 18 °C. The biosurfactant activity was maintained over a wide range of NaCl concentration, pH, and temperature. A concentration of 1000 mg L− 1 of the crude biosurfactant showed an emulsification activity of 55% towards both xylene and olive oil and a reduction of 25.0 mN m− 1 of surface tension of water. Eventually, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy indicated that the biosurfactant is formed by trehalolipids.ConclusionsThe use of low-cost substrates such as exhausted oils and waste butter reduce both the costs of biosurfactant synthesis and the environmental pollution due to the inappropriate disposal of these residues. High production yields, stability and emulsification properties using diesel and n-hexadecane as substrates, make the biosurfactant produced by SP1d a sustainable biocompound for bioremediation purpose. Eventually, the purified biosurfactant improved the biofilm formation of the fungal antagonistic strain P. protegens MP12, and thus seem to be exploitable to increase the adherence and colonization of plant surfaces by this antagonistic strain and possibly enhance antifungal activity.

Evaluation of surface activity of rhamnolipid biosurfactants produced from rice bran oil through dynamic surface tension

The use of low-cost carbon substrates such as agricultural residues can drastically lower the cost of biosurfactant production. In this study, rice bran oil extracted from agricultural waste was used as a renewable carbon source for biosurfactant production using Pseudomonas aeruginosa PTCC 1340. The biosurfactant was characterized as a glycolipid derivative by thin-layer chromatography and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The yields of biosurfactant from rice bran oil (YRL/S) and biosurfactant to biomass (YRL/X) were 0.246 and 2.81 (g/g), respectively. In addition, the surface activity of the produced biosurfactant was studied using dynamic surface tension measurements and a mono-exponential decay model by estimating the relaxation time of the biosurfactants at the interface. The biosurfactant exhibited acceptable performance in reducing surface tension, as confirmed by examining the dynamic surface tension state and the lowest adsorption time without being affected by the type of salt or concentration. It was found that the adsorption/relaxation of biosurfactants at the interface was considerably affected by the biosurfactant concentration. The produced biosurfactant by the strain considerably reduced the surface tension of water from 70.46 to 25.86 mN/m with a critical micelle concentration (CMC) of 0.09 g/L with rice bran oil as a carbon source. The biosurfactant was also found to be highly effective in suppressing one of the most destructive pathogenic fungi, Macrophomina phaseolina, in terms of its environmental impact. The enhanced physicochemical properties of biosurfactants, such as potential antifungal properties, oil displacement properties, and surface tension-reducing ability, demonstrate the potential of this biosurfactant as a bio-adjuvant and perfect replacement for chemical surfactants in addressing oil spills and environmental decontamination processes.

Statistical Optimization of Biosurfactant Production from Aspergillus niger SA1 Fermentation Process and Mathematical Modeling.

In this study, we sought to investigate the production and optimization of biosurfactants by soil fungi isolated from petroleum oil-contaminated soil in Saudi Arabia. Forty-four fungal isolates were isolated from ten petroleum oil-contaminated soil samples. All isolates were identified using the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, and biosurfactant screening showed that thirty-nine of the isolates were positive. Aspergillus niger SA1 was the highest biosurfactant producer, demonstrating surface tension, drop collapsing, oil displacement, and an emulsification index (E24) of 35.8 mN/m, 0.55 cm, 6.7 cm, and 70%, respectively. This isolate was therefore selected for biosurfactant optimization using the Fit Group model. The biosurfactant yield was increased 1.22 times higher than in the nonoptimized medium (8.02 g/l) under conditions of pH 6, temperature 35°C, waste frying oil (5.5 g), agitation rate of 200 rpm, and an incubation period of 7 days. Model significance and fitness analysis had an RMSE score of 0.852 and a p-value of 0.0016. The biosurfactant activities were surface tension (35.8 mN/m), drop collapsing (0.7 cm), oil displacement (4.5 cm), and E24 (65.0%). The time course of biosurfactant production was a growth-associated phase. The main outputs of the mathematical model for biomass yield were Yx/s (1.18), and μmax (0.0306) for biosurfactant yield was Yp/s (1.87) and Yp/x (2.51); for waste frying oil consumption the So was 55 g/l, and Ke was 2.56. To verify the model's accuracy, percentage errors between biomass and biosurfactant yields were determined by experimental work and calculated using model equations. The average error of biomass yield was 2.68%, and the average error percentage of biosurfactant yield was 3.39%.

Structural Diversity of the Lipopeptide Biosurfactant Produced by a Newly Isolated Strain, Geobacillus thermodenitrifcans ME63.

The genus Geobacillus is active in degradation of hydrocarbons in thermophilic and facultative environments since it was first reported in 1920. Here, we report a new strain, Geobacillus thermodenitrificans ME63, isolated from an oilfield with the ability of producing the biosurfactant. The composition, chemical structure, and surface activity of the biosurfactant produced by G. thermodenitrificans ME63 were investigated by using a combination of the high-performance liquid chromatography, time-of-flight ion mass spectrometry, and surface tensiometer. The biosurfactant produced by strain ME63 was identified as surfactin with six variants, which is one of the representative family of lipopeptide biosurfactants. The amino acid residue sequence in the peptide of this surfactin is N-Glu → Leu → Leu → Val → Leu → Asp → Leu-C. The critical micelle concentration (CMC) of the surfactin is 55 mg L-1, and the surface tension at CMC is 35.9 mN m-1, which is promising in bioremediation and oil recovery industries. The surface activity and emulsification properties of biosurfactants produced by G. thermodenitrificans ME63 showed excellent resistance to temperature changes, salinity changes, and pH changes.

The production of biosurfactants by local fungi isolated from Egyptian soil

One of the most important sources of biomolecules is soil fungi which have unique metabolic and physiologic features. The present study investigates the ability of local fungi isolated from Egyptian soil to produce biosurfactants. The oil displacement area (ODA) test was used to study the effect of three different environmental conditions (pH, temperature, and salinity) on the stability of produced biosurfactants. The study aimed also to reuse four vegetable oils (sunflower oil, olive oil, waste frying oil, and corn oil), which are widely used in the daily activities of the Egyptians, for the enhancement of the production and activity of biosurfactants by fungal isolates. The highest production of biosurfactants was observed by Aspergillus wentii, Aspergillus flavus, and Fusarium sp. The results showed that most of the biosurfactants were stable at a wide range of temperatures, alkaline pH, and high salinity. Sunflower oil followed by waste frying oil showed the highest enhancement effects. Olive oil showed moderate enhancement while corn oil showed the lowest effect. Thus, it can be concluded local soil fungi are considered a promising potential source to produce biosurfactants. It can be concluded that our study is the first study that mentioned the ability of A. wentii isolated from the soil as a biosurfactant producer.

Plant growth promoting and biosurfactant activity of rice rhizosphere bacteria

Plant growth promoting and biosurfactant activity of rice rhizosphere bacteria

Broad-Spectrum Antifungal, Biosurfactants and Bioemulsifier Activity of Bacillus subtilis subsp. spizizenii-A Potential Biocontrol and Bioremediation Agent in Agriculture.

In this study, the antifungal, biosurfactant and bioemulsifying activity of the lipopeptides produced by the marine bacterium Bacillus subtilis subsp. spizizenii MC6B-22 is presented. The kinetics showed that at 84 h, the highest yield of lipopeptides (556 mg/mL) with antifungal, biosurfactant, bioemulsifying and hemolytic activity was detected, finding a relationship with the sporulation of the bacteria. Based on the hemolytic activity, bio-guided purification methods were used to obtain the lipopeptide. By TLC, HPLC and MALDI-TOF, the mycosubtilin was identified as the main lipopeptide, and it was further confirmed by NRPS gene clusters prediction based on the strain's genome sequence, in addition to other genes related to antimicrobial activity. The lipopeptide showed a broad-spectrum activity against ten phytopathogens of tropical crops at a minimum inhibitory concentration of 400 to 25 μg/mL and with a fungicidal mode of action. In addition, it exhibited that biosurfactant and bioemulsifying activities remain stable over a wide range of salinity and pH and it can emulsify different hydrophobic substrates. These results demonstrate the potential of the MC6B-22 strain as a biocontrol agent for agriculture and its application in bioremediation and other biotechnological fields.

Amelioration of lipopeptide biosurfactants for enhanced antibacterial and biocompatibility through molecular antioxidant property by methoxy and carboxyl moieties

Biosurfactants having surface-active biomolecules have been the cynosure in environment research due to their vast application. However, the lack of information about their low-cost production and detailed mechanistic biocompatibility limits the applicability. The study explores techniques for the production and design of low-cost, biodegradable, and non-toxic biosurfactants from Brevibacterium casei strain LS14 and excavates the mechanistic details of their biomedical properties like antibacterial effects and biocompatibility. Taguchi’s design of experiment was used to optimize for enhancing biosurfactant production by optimal factor combinations like Waste glycerol (1%v/v), peptone (1%w/v), NaCl 0.4% (w/v), and pH 6. Under optimal conditions, the purified biosurfactant reduced the surface tension to 35 mN/m from 72.8 mN/m (MSM) and a critical micelle concentration of 25 mg/ml was achieved. Spectroscopic analyses of the purified biosurfactant using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance suggested it as a lipopeptide biosurfactant. The evaluation of mechanistic antibacterial, antiradical, antiproliferative, and cellular effects indicated the efficient antibacterial activity (against Pseudomonas aeruginosa) of biosurfactants due to free radical scavenging activity and oxidative stress. Moreover, the cellular cytotoxicity was estimated by MTT and other cellular assays revealing the phenomenon as the dose-dependent induction of apoptosis due to free radical scavenging with an LC50 of 55.6 ± 2.3 mg/ml.

Evaluation of Biosurfactant Property within Plant Probiotic Species

The present study focusses on proving the biosurfactant activity of the 7 isolated bacterial strains. Plants could not absorb enough nutrients as a result of contamination in the soil. This contaminants can be chemical pollutants or oil spillage. By considering the earlier potential applications of biosurfactants, this research was aimed to prove the role of a plant probiotic bacteria as oil degrading bacteria. In order to prove this approach, many screening methods were performed such as drop collapse, oil spreading (mm), emulsification stability testing by calculating emulsification index (E24%), penetration assay etc. Among the 7 selected isolates, isolate KL-015 have shown positive results with all the biosurfactant screening analysis. A unique role was proven by KL-011 isolate as it has shown a high oil degrading zone, i.e., 0.6 mm in diameter as well as the formation of more foam layer or emulsified layer with the emulsification index of 17.39% which indicates its role in having a biosurfactant molecule within it.

Metabolomic Insights of Biosurfactant Activity from Bacillus niabensis against Planktonic Cells and Biofilm of Pseudomonas stutzeri Involved in Marine Biofouling

In marine environments, biofilm can cause negative impacts, including the biofouling process. In the search for new non-toxic formulations that inhibit biofilm, biosurfactants (BS) produced by the genus Bacillus have demonstrated considerable potential. To elucidate the changes that BS from B. niabensis promote in growth inhibition and biofilm formation, this research performed a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) metabolomic profile analysis to compare the metabolic differences between planktonic cells and biofilms of Pseudomonas stutzeri, a pioneer fouling bacteria. The multivariate analysis showed a clear separation between groups with a higher concentration of metabolites in the biofilm than in planktonic cells of P. stutzeri. When planktonic and biofilm stages were treated with BS, some differences were found among them. In planktonic cells, the addition of BS had a minor effect on growth inhibition, but at a metabolic level, NADP+, trehalose, acetone, glucose, and betaine were up-regulated in response to osmotic stress. When the biofilm was treated with the BS, a clear inhibition was observed and metabolites such as glucose, acetic acid, histidine, lactic acid, phenylalanine, uracil, and NADP+ were also up-regulated, while trehalose and histamine were down-regulated in response to the antibacterial effect of the BS.

Antibacterial and Antibiofilm Activity of the Mixed Lactobacilli Against the Most Bacterial Etiology of Otitis Media

The present study aimed to investigate the anti-biofilm activity of Cell Free Supernatant (CFS) and Biosurfactant (BS) of mixed lactobacilli (L. acidophilus and L. plantarum) against biofilm formation by bacterial pathogens isolated from chronic otitis media. In addition, the antimicrobial potential of ciprofloxacin in combination with CFS of lactobacilli species was evaluated againt the tested pathogens. The automated identification of bacterial isolates was peroformed by VITEK2 compact system their antibiotics susceptibility was evaluated using disc diffusion method. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of the mixed lactobacilli CFS and ciprofloxacin were determine against the bacterial isolates using broth micro-dilution assay. Anti-biofilm activities of CFS and bio-surfactant of the mixed lactobacilli were evaluated against the biofilm–associated bacterial isolates. The minimum biofilm inhibitory concentrations (MBIC50) were determined. In the current study, one hundred sixty-two ear swab were collected from had otitis media cases with chronic discharging. These patients attended to the ENT department in the medical consultation clinic at Baquba Teaching Hospital and to private doctors’ clinics. Ear swabs were taken from both genders during September 2021 to the end of December. The most bacterial species isolated from otitis media samples were Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. Ciprofloxacin was an effective antibiotic against the tested pathogenic bacteria. The mixed lactobacilli CFS showed an inhibitory effect at MIC90 (25%) against P. mirabilis but (50%) against P. aeruginosa, S.aureus, and K. pneumoniae. The data illustrated that CFS of mixed lactobacilli was synergized ciprofloxacin against otitis media-bacterial isolates. The CFS of mixed lactobacilli exhibited a higher MBIC50 against K. pneumoniae (50%) compared to other bacterial isolates. In addition, a higher MBIC50 of the mixed lactobacilli bio-surfactant was reported against P. aeruginosa 50%, compred to the other bacterial species. The authors concluded that tested probiotics cells, the mixed lactobacilli, and their products possessed an effective antimicrobial potential and enhanced ciprofloxacin activity to control the chronic otitis media-associated bacteria and inhibit their persistent biofilm formation.

Antifungal potential of biosurfactants produced by strains of Bacillus mojavensis PS17 against pathogens of the genera Fusarium and Verticillium

Phytopathogenic fungi cause significant damage to agriculture, reducing or destroying the crop. There are several ways to control fungal diseases, such as the use of disease-resistant plant varieties, organic farming, and the use of fungicides. One of the methods of combating phytopathogens is the use of biological products, one of which is biosurfactants. Biosurfactants are surfactants produced in the course of life. They are able to reduce fungal growth and increase plant disease resistance, improve plant growth and yield, and act as adjuvants to improve wetting and solubility of fertilizers. In the course of this work, the fungicidal activity of biosurfactants formed by Bacillus mojavensis PS17 was assessed against pathogens of the genera Fusarium and Verticillium. It has been established that the biosurfactant is able to reduce the coverage area of Fusarium and Verticillium fungi in in vitro experiments by 39 and 43%. Thus, it can be concluded that the biosurfactant produced by Bacillus mojavensis PS17 has antifungal activity.

The Potentials of Biosurfactants as Anti-Inflammatory and Anti-Viral Agents Against Covid-19: A Mini Review

Infection due to strain of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS COV2) has grown to be of global public health significance. Biotechnology uses living organisms such as microbes to produce metabolites like biosurfactants. Biosurfactants are ampiphilic surface active biomolecules that were proven to have therapeutic function against some groups of microbes including viruses. They also have anti-inflammatory potential through their interaction with viral membranes and macromolecules to decrease cytosolic phospholipase A2, which is the beginning of an anti-inflammatory response, and are recognized structurally by toll-like receptors (TLR-2), which are released when neutrophils are stimulated. They can also play vital role in aiding the human body to have inflammatory response. The functional groups of biosurfactants interact with the viruses membrane structure. Some groups of biosurfactants cause physiochemical processes that render viruses inactive. Therefore it can generally be understood that biosurfactants destroy the virus's envelope and the viral membrane's structures. The principle behind biosurfactant’s anti viral property is due to the hydrophilic properties that are within the acetyl groups. Additionally, the hydrophobic properties of biosurfactant are also important in making it to have antiviral activity. These activities of biosurfactants against viruses make it to be potential anti-inflammatory and anti-viral agents against Covid-19. Therefore this paper is aimed to produce a mini review on the anti-inflammatory and anti-viral potential against Covid-19. And the review also highlights some of the desirable properties and benefits of biosurfactants as anti-corona viruses.

Production, Characterization, and Application of Biosurfactant From Lactobacillus plantarum OG8 Isolated From Fermenting Maize (Zea Mays) Slurry

Abstract Biosurfactants have wide applications in several industries. However, high production costs and safety concerns have limited their comprehensive use. Twenty-five strains of lactic acid bacteria, isolated from fermenting maize slurry, were screened for biosurfactant production using the emulsification activity (E24) assay. The selected bacterium was identified molecularly using the 16S rRNA gene sequencing as Lactobacillus plantarum OG8. The effect of some cultural factors on biosurfactant production from the bacterium, using pineapple peel as a low-cost substrate, was investigated. The optimum yield of biosurfactant occurred at a 48 h incubation period, using glucose and peptone as carbon and nitrogen sources, respectively. The biosurfactant was characterized to possess mostly carbohydrates, followed by protein and lipid contents. Optima pH 10.0 and temperature 60 °C were the best for the biosurfactant activity. The biosurfactant exhibited antimicrobial activity against bacterial pathogens Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, and Klebsiella pneumoniae, at a concentration of 5.0 mg/mL. The use of pineapple peel as a low-cost substrate for biosurfactant production from Lactobacillus plantarum OG8 will serve for cost-effective production. The biosurfactantt produced exhibited promising properties such as thermostability and antimicrobial activity against food spoilage and pathogenes that could make it suitable for food processing and preservation.