ABSTRACT
Biosurfactants (BSs) are currently in great demand due to their higher biodegradability, lower toxicity, great sustainability, high selectivity, and high specificity. Microbial sources have an extensive variety of uses with different types of hydrocarbons and heavy metal ions with extreme ecological security. These BSs have potential applications in environmental sectors for biodegradation of hydrocarbons, pesticides, and oil. Marine-derived BSs show excellent activity under extreme environmental conditions for wide variations in temperature, pH, and salinity. Most marine microbes with the capability for secretion of BSs are being reported as non-pathogenic. These marine-based BSs cannot be used commercially due to their lower productivity and insufficient exploration of their molecular genes. Therefore, the proper strategy for optimization of their fermentative conditions and exploration of genes encoding the secretion of BSs could improve their production to meet the great demand in industrial sectors. In this chapter, we compare the production of BSs from general microbial sources with marine microbes. We have also studied their marketing strategy, mechanism of action, and biotechnological applications.
