Integration of green economy concepts for sustainable biosurfactant production - A review

Chiamaka Linda Mgbechidinma; Otobong Donald Akan; Chunfang Zhang; Mengzhen Huang; Nsemeke Linus; He Zhu; Sherifah Monilola Wakil

doi:10.1016/j.biortech.2022.128021

Integration of green economy concepts for sustainable biosurfactant production - A review

Bioresour Technol. 2022 Nov:364:128021. doi: 10.1016/j.biortech.2022.128021. Epub 2022 Sep 24.

Authors

Chiamaka Linda Mgbechidinma¹, Otobong Donald Akan², Chunfang Zhang³, Mengzhen Huang⁴, Nsemeke Linus⁵, He Zhu⁶, Sherifah Monilola Wakil⁷

Affiliations

¹ Integrated Life Sciences, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA; Ocean College, Zhejiang University, Zhoushan 316021, Zhejiang, China; Department of Microbiology, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Oyo State 200243, Nigeria.
² College of Food Science and Engineering, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Hunan 41004, China; Microbiology Department, Akwa-Ibom State University, Akwa-Ibom State, Nigeria.
³ Ocean College, Zhejiang University, Zhoushan 316021, Zhejiang, China.
⁴ College of Food Science and Engineering, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Hunan 41004, China.
⁵ Biochemistry Department, University of Uyo, Uyo, Nigeria.
⁶ College of Food Science and Engineering, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Hunan 41004, China; College of Food Science and Engineering, Shandong Agriculture and Engineering University, Shandong, China.
⁷ Department of Microbiology, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Oyo State 200243, Nigeria. Electronic address: shemowak@yahoo.com.

PMID: 36167175
DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2022.128021

Abstract

The link between increasing global population, food demand, industrialization, and agricultural waste is strong. Decomposing by-products from food cycles can introduce harmful toxic heavy metals, active degrading microbes, and enzymes to the environment. Additionally, high greenhouse gas emissions from the decomposing wastes contribute to global change and a high carbon economy. The bioeconomy and circular economy of biosurfactant production utilize these cheap feedstocks and promote waste to valuable product initiatives. Waste reduction, reuse, and recycling in an integrating green economy bioprocess ensure the sustainability of novel, cost-effective, safe, and renewable health-grade biosurfactants. This work reviews green economy concepts integration with sustainable biosurfactant production and its application in health-related industries. Benefits from recent advances in the production, characterization, and health-wise classification of biosurfactants were further discussed, including its limitations, techno-economic assessment, market evaluations, possible roadblocks, and future directions.

Keywords: Bioeconomy; Carbon neutrality; Circular economy; Integrated green economy; Sustainability.