ABSTRACT
Surfactin, a biosurfactant with great activity on interfaces, has been reported as a great substitute for non-renewable sources and non-biologically synthesized surfactants. It is expected to see more studies in the next years evolving its application, including in marine environments, especially those impacted by petroleum or other contaminants. In this chapter, we address in detail the main aspects of surfactin production, including the main microorganisms, cultivation modes, pathways and conditions. We address the main aspects of surfactin production by Bacillus subtilis with the different strategies explored to reach this bioprocess up to a large scale, as well as the main challenges encountered. Also detailed are its recovery and purification methods, which generally combine two or more steps as acid precipitation, solvent extraction, liquid membrane extraction, foam fractionation and membrane-based techniques. We also provide a brief summary of its potential application in marine environments and our prospects for future application as a brief outlook on the physiochemical characteristics of the main molecules.
