Production and Application of Sophorolipid, A Microbial Surfactant

소포로리피드[미생물계면활성제]의 생산과 응용

Microbial surfactants are more effective and environmentally friendly than many synthetic surfactants. Sophorolipid, a glycolipid type microbial surfactant, is produced from C. bombiocola. Cultivation techniques to increase the productivity have been developed using various carbon sources and reactor setup, reaching its concentration upto 100-300 g/L. Due to its high productivity and non-toxicity, sophorolipid became one of the most promising alternative to synthetic surfactants. Fermentative production of sophorolipid depends primarily on the carbon sources, such as glucose and vegetable oils, and nitrogen sources. Chemical modification of the sophorolipid produces various derivative with different physical properties including hydrophile-liphophilie balance(HLB), emulsion formation, surface tension and dispersing ability. Commercial potentials of sophorolipid in the cosmetic, health care and environment clean-up industries have been discussed.