Nauka Przyroda Technologie

2010 volume 4 issue 4 #51

Małgorzata Gumienna, Zbigniew Czarnecki

The surface-active compounds of microbiological origin

Summary.

The research concerned the characterisation of mechanisms and environmental conditions influencing the surface-active compounds, of microbiological origin, synthesis. The study undertook the factors which carry out biosynthesis process, the role of typical biosurfactants and their application in different branches of industry. Most of potentially available surfactants are the chemical surfactants synthesized from oil. These compounds are dangerous for environment because of their toxicity and unbiodegradability. The intensive development of biotechnology, genetic engineering and increase of human responsibility for environment protection contribute to “natural” surfactants interest. Biosurfactants are compounds produced through microbiological biosynthesis, mainly by bacteria and yeasts, with structural variety of surface-active compounds. Biosurfactants have the advantage over chemical ones because they are biodegradable, stable in extreme temperatures, pH value and salinity and they are of low toxicity. As opposed to chemical surfactants, biosurfactants demonstrate wider action range. The functional features of biosurfactants may be adapted by inserting not large changes into their structure. These changes are obtained using microorganisms reaction on changing culture-medium compounds and susceptibility of molecule to chemical and enzymatic manipulation.

Key words: microorganisms, synthesis, surface-active compound

Full text available in Polish in Adobe Acrobat format:
https://www.npt.up-poznan.net/pub/art_4_51.pdf

Streszczenie w języku polskim:
https://www.npt.up-poznan.net/tom4/zeszyt4/streszczenie-51.html

Corresponding address:
Małgorzata Gumienna
Instytut Technologii Żywności Pochodzenia Roślinnego
Uniwersytet Przyrodniczy w Poznaniu
ul. Wojska Polskiego 31/33
60-624 Poznań
Poland
e-mail: gumienna@up.poznan.pl

Accepted for print: 7.06.2010