Biosurfactants: Forthcomings and Regulatory Affairs in Food-Based Industries

Abstract

The terms discussed in this review—biosurfactants (BSs) and bioemulsifiers (BEs)—describe surface-active molecules of microbial origin which are popular chemical entities for many industries, including food. BSs are generally low-molecular-weight compounds with the ability to reduce surface tension noticeably, whereas BEs are high-molecular-weight molecules with efficient emulsifying abilities. Some other biomolecules, such as lecithin and egg yolk, are useful as natural BEs in food products. The high toxicity and severe ecological impact of many chemical-based surfactants have directed interest towards BSs/BEs. Interest in food surfactant formulations and consumer anticipation of “green label” additives over synthetic or chemical-based surfactants have been steadily increasing. BSs have an undeniable prospective for replacing chemical surfactants with vast significance to food formulations. However, the commercialization of BSs/BEs production has often been limited by several challenges, such as the optimization of fermentation parameters, high downstream costs, and low yields, which had an immense impact on their broader adoptions in different industries, including food. The foremost restriction regarding the access of BSs/BEs is not their lack of cost-effective industrial production methods, but a reluctance regarding their potential safety, as well as the probable microbial hazards that may be associated with them. Most research on BSs/BEs in food production has been restricted to demonstrations and lacks a comprehensive assessment of safety and risk analysis, which has limited their adoption for varied food-related applications. Furthermore, regulatory agencies require extensive exploration and analysis to secure endorsements for the inclusion of BSs/BEs as potential food additives. This review emphasizes the promising properties of BSs/BEs, trailed by an overview of their current use in food formulations, as well as risk and toxicity assessment. Finally, we assess their potential challenges and upcoming future in substituting chemical-based surfactants.

Antibacterial activity of bioemulsifiers/biosurfactants produced by Levilactobacillus brevisS4 and Lactiplantibacillus plantarumS5 and their utilization to enhance the stability of cold emulsions of milk chocolate drinks

“…All the BE/BS were active, with the zone of growth inhibition ranging from 3.70 ± 0.22 to 5.70 ± 0.12 mm against E. coli E1 and from 3.83 ± 0.40 to 4.85 ± 0.42 mm against S. aureus S1. This antibacterial activity might be due to the amphiphilic nature of BE/BS, which enables their penetration into the phospholipidic membranes of bacteria, leading to alteration of their permeability, loss of their electrochemical gradient, and leakage of essential molecules (Makovitzki et al, 2006 ; Mbawala et al, 2013 ; Mouafo, Sokamte, et al, 2023 ; Sharma et al, 2023 ). Disruption of the bacterial cell wall and pores' formation following interaction with biosurfactants, as reported by Mouafo, Mbawala, and Ndjouenkeu ( 2018 ) and Mouafo, Sokamte, et al ( 2023 ), could also explain the antimicrobial activity of BE/BS observed in this study.…”

“…This observation suggests a difference in the chemical composition and structure of the two BE/BS. Variation in the antibacterial activity of biosurfactants according to the producing strain has been reported in the literature (Adnan et al, 2023;Liu et al, 2015;Mouafo, Baomog, et al, 2020;Sharma et al, 2023).…”

Rhamnolipids: A biosurfactant for the development of lipid‐based nanosystems for food applications

“…It is possible to see that biosurfactants are currently used in many and different fields. For food applications, one of the biosurfactants with the highest potential for exploitation are the glycolipids, more precisely the rhamnolipids (Jiang et al, 2020;Sałek & Euston, 2019;Sharma et al, 2023).…”

Microbial biosurfactant based nanoemulsions and their applications: A review

“…Thus, the purpose of the review is to focus on the applicability of mBS by emphasizing the versatile bioactive properties that they impart to the NE. Majority of related reviews have focused mainly on applications of mBS based NE in cosmetics (Ghosh et al, 2023;Karnwal et al, 2023;Singh et al, 2022), foods (Sharma et al, 2022;Sharma et al, 2023;Sneha & Kumar, 2022), pharmaceuticals (Ohadi, Shahravan, et al, 2020;Thakur et al, 2020), and so forth. The current review highlights the potential negative effects of NE prepared using conventional surfactants, the use of mBS as an alternative component of NE, their additional advantages in the preparation of NE and their varied applications.…”