Biosurfactants are commonly recognised as biologically derived surface
active agents. The most significant microbes have been studied for the production of
glycolipid biosurfactants, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus subtilis, and
Candida spp. Microbial derived biosurfactants are found commercially superior to
chemical derivatives due to their biodegradability, renewability, and good performance
under harsh working conditions. It has been found that (isolated) hydrocarbondegrading bacteria produce far more biosurfactants than that predicted from oil spills.
This is because all genomes are regulated in lipid metabolism synthesis. The oil and
petroleum sector use biosurfactants as an emulsifier for both recovery and removal
from contaminated sites. They also play a role in the removal of heavy metals in
metallurgy. In this work, we have provided an overview of the screening of
microorganisms that produce biosurfactants, production techniques, and variables that
affect the production of biosurfactants. Several analytical approaches for crude
metabolite processing are also given. Hence, the importance of biosurfactants in
environmental cleaning is simply understood from this review.
Keywords: Antiviral, Biodegradability, Biosurfactants, Metallurgical, Petrochemical industry.
