Preparation, characterization and application of biosurfactant in various industries: A critical review on progress, challenges and perspectives

Due to the increased use of crude oil and other oil-related products, a large amount waste is produced discharged into environment. These wastes contain toxic heavy metals petroleum hydrocarbon lead further deterioration terrestrial aquatic ecosystems. Their increasing amounts residual leachates are considered main obstacle restoring contaminated environments. Biosurfactants compounds having high emulsification properties, wetting performance, de-emulsification, detergent formulation, foam formation, surface activity enhancement minimize interfacial tension between liquids, liquid gas or solid. Such features make biosurfactants potential applications in diverse industrial set-ups. This field attracts attention from scientists (and policymakers) develop novel, cost-effective renewable using molecular engineering emerging downstream processing. review comprehensively discusses recent biosurfactants, their preparation, characterization, environmental applications. The advances recombinant DNA technology, mutants hyper-active microbes were also reviewed. We highlighted sophisticated highly accurate characterization techniques such as performance-liquid chromatography (HPLC), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), thin-layer (TLC), chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Strategies enhance efficiency productivity at scale discussed.