The biosurfactants are originally produced as surface active compounds whose function is quite similar to the chemical surfactants (Rahman et al., 2002). These biosurfactants characteristically reduces surface tension (ST) of the medium and thereby bringing down the critical micelle concentration (CMC) of the liquid in order emulsify and achieve other survival phenomenon by the microorganisms (Rahman et al., 1999). Structurally the biosurfactants are comprised of a hydrophilic and as well as a hydrophobic moiety attached together. The recent research findings, that pointed out the eco-friendly nature of the biosurfactants over chemical surfactants have brought popularity for them in the research community. In addition to that, the recent awakening call about the persistence of chemical surfactants in the environment for prolonged periods, long after their actual usage has made the this area of research a hot spot (Moran et al., 2000; Maneerat, 2005). Micro-organisms like Pseudomonas aeruginosa comfortably produces both biosurfactants and pyocyanins naturally as a spontaneous release for its own survival (Mukherjee et al., 2006).
The idea of commercializing the process of biosurfactant and pyocyanin production for industrial purposes could be fabulous; since the biosurfactants are heterogeneous in nature, and they are produced naturally by spontaneous release mechanisms of microorganisms like Pseudomonas aeruginosa along with the Pyocyanins. The optimization of the maximum production of biosurfactants and as well as the genetic manipulation studies that further maximize the production would certainly be the research area one would like to work on (Oliveira et al., 2009).
For instance, Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a Gram-negative organism ubiquitously available in both soil and water is referred notoriously as opportunistic pathogen, because of its capability of causing diseases such as: infections, cancers, cystic fibrosis and acute pneumonia by taking the advantage of well equipped target disruption mechanisms (Favre-Bonté, 2007). It establishes infection by producing remarkable group of virulent products that may be cell associated or even extracellular. However, these virulent products are regulated by a complex and interlinked quorum sensing systems (genes), that seems to be responsible for other metabolisms at the same time. Besides, this kind of advanced communication helps the bacteria to proceed in a much organized regulatory patterns of gene expression, which is actually believed to give the bacteria a discerning advantage over the defense mechanisms of the host (Smith and Iglewski, 2003).
References:
Rahman, K.S.M., Rahman, T.J., McClean, S., Marchant, R., and Banat, I.M. (2002). Rhamnolipid biosurfactants production by strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa using low cost raw materials. Biotechnol. Prog. 18, 277-281.
Rahman, K.S.M., Vasudevan, N., and Lakshmanaperumalsamy, P. (1999). Enhancement of biosurfactant production to emulsify different hydrocarbons, J. Environ. Poll. 6, 87-93.
Moran, A.C., Olivera, N., Commendatore, M., Esteves, J.L. and Sineriz, F. (2000). Enhancement of hydrocarbon waste biodegradation by addition of a biosurfactant from Bacillus subtilis O9. Biodegradation. 11, 65-71.
Maneerat. S., (2005). Production of biosurfactants using substrates from renewable-resources. J. Sci. Technol. 27, 675-683.
Mukherjee, S., Das, P., and Sen, R. (2006). Towards the commercial production of microbial surfactants. Trends Biotechnol. 24, 509-515.
Oliveira, F.J.S., Vazquez, L., de Campos, N.P., and de Franca, F.P. (2009). Production of rhamnolipids by a Pseudomonas alcaligenes strain. Process Biochem. 44, 383-389.
Favre-Bonté,S. (2007). Autoinducer production and quorum-sensing dependent phenotypes of Pseudomonas aeruginosa vary according to isolation site during colonization of intubated patients. BMC Microbiology 7(33), 1-12.
Smith, R. S., and Iglewski, B.H. (2003). Pseudomonas aeruginosa quorum sensing as a potential antimicrobial target. J. Clin. Invest. 112,1460–1465.
