9. Advances in the research of new biosurfactants and their potential use in the biomedical and pharmaceutical industry

Biosurfactants (BS) are a structurally diverse group of surface-active substances produced by microorganisms. Interest in BS production has markedly increased during the past decade, although large-scale production has not been possible because of low production yields and high total costs. At present, BS have gained importance in environmental applications, while new applications in the pharmaceutical, biomedical, cosmetic and food industry, with a high added value, are still developing. This article describes classical and new BS producer bacteria together with their new BS applications. With these specialized and costeffective applications, BS can be considered as an interesting option for the near future.