An overview on trehalolipids: a promising eco-friendly bio-surfactant

Abstract

Abstract Amphiphilic surfactants, which are currently used mainly for cleaning purposes, are produced in large quantities from petroleum, but are often harmful to the environment and poorly biodegradable. Therefore, the importance of environmentally friendly, non-toxic and skin-friendly biosurfactants is increasing. Different types of biosurfactants exist depending on their molecular structure. Trehalolipids belong to the low molecular weight glycolipids. Compared to other microbial glycolipids, they often show different properties and performances, including inhibition and enhancement of biodegradation rates. Optimisation of their production and downstream processing is one of the major obstacles to the potential use of trehaloselipids in a range of applications. This review provides an overview of different substrates and microorganisms used for trehalose lipid production, as well as various applications in bioremediation, biomedicine and microbial enhanced oil recovery.