| Abstract: | Microbial and Enzymatic Synthesis of Biosurfactants from Renewable Resources Renewable resources such as vegetable oils or carbohydrates are suitable substrates for the biocatalysis to produce glycolipids with good physico-chemical properties and biological activities. Potential biotechnological processes include: Multiple-step-biosynthesis by microorganisms (growth-limited cultures, resting cells) and one-step-reaction with lipases or glycosidases. By aid of the microbial method the specific production amounts to more than 50 % conversion of the renewable resources to high value glycolipids. A disadvantage is the limited variability of the molecular structures. The enzymatic method offers the directed synthesis of glycolipids from sugar and fatty acid/fatty alcohol, but needs partly those additional procedures which are necessary in competing chemical methods. |
