Resíduos agroindustriais aplicados à produção de biossurfactantes: uma revisão

Abstract

Biosurfactants are compounds synthesized by microorganisms that have properties similar to chemical surfactants. Because they are amphiphilic molecules, that is, they have a polar and an apolar part in their chain and, therefore, have the property of reducing surface tension and forming emulsions. In addition to having the advantage of being more stable at a higher pH and temperature range, having less toxicity, greater specificity and biodegradability when compared to chemical surfactants, however their production is not yet competitive in terms of costs, since the environment used and the product recovery steps represent a high cost for production. The most diverse residues are used for the biotransformation of these compounds (sugarcane bagasse, cane and soy molasses, corn steep licor , cassava wastewter , pineapple and potato bagasse) by bacteria, fungi and yeasts, aiming at alternatives for production with higher yields and reduced costs . With an adequate substrate and optimized operating conditions, the production of biosurfactant can have a major impact on the industrial sector, including the food industry and the agribusiness. This work aimed to review the use of agro-industrial residues as substates for biosurfactant production