Biosurfactants and its Applications in Aquaculture

Abstract

Aquatic environments harbour a wide diversity of
microorganisms that produce several novel compounds.
Biosurfactant is a compound synthesized
by microorganisms which have distinct physiological
and metabolic pathways. Structurally they are
amphiphilic molecules with hydrophilic moiety
(tail) and hydrophobic moiety (head) that accumulates
between two fluid phases and reduces surface
tension. The property of a particular biosurfactant
molecule is dependent on the location as well as the
size of the functional groups. These biosurfactants
can form strong emulsions at wide ranges of pH and
temperature. The physico-chemical and biological
properties are unique which makes the biosurfactant
widely applicable in different fields, including
aquaculture. Most common applications include
inhibition of quorum sensing mechanism of the
bacterial communication and inhibiting the growth
of pathogenic bacteria. In case of fish feed processing
industries, the emulsions formed by the
biosurfactant can be incorporated into diet. The
micelle forming property of the biosurfactant can be
exploited for developing targeted drug delivery
techniques. The methodologies and techniques for
screening potential microorganisms which produce
biosurfactant from aquatic environment and its
application in aquaculture sector assume great
importance. This communication provides a detailed
review on the developments in these areas.