Deepansh Sharma

Functional characterization of biomedical potential of biosurfactant produced by Lactobacillus helveticus

Highlights • Isolation of biosurfactant producing lactic acid bacteria.• Antiadhesive potential of the lactic acid derived biosurfactants against biofilm forming pathogens.• Stability studies of biosurfactants.

Bio-Nanotechnology for Active Food Packaging -

Article history: Received on: 18/06/2016 Revised on: 22/07/2016 Accepted on: 19/08/2016 Available online: 26/09/2016 The most commonly used packaging material is associated with environmental issues as they are non degradable in nature. The number of attempts are made for developing the eco-friendly degradable biopolymers as ideal food packaging. The biopolymers developed are not commercialized as they have poor mechanical strength and resistance properties. Thus to enhance the following faults in the reinforcing material are added which resulted in the composites formation. During various food processing operations the nanotechnology approach is employed such as encapsulation of the material in the nanoparticles, which can be delivered to the targeted site, enhancement of the flavor, integration of antibacterial agents with the nanoparticle in the food, enhancement of shelf-life for storage, and contamination sensing. Food packaging substances synthesized by nanotechnology may increase the shelf-life of the food as they provide resistive packaging, increase the level of food safety, liberate the preservatives for enhancing the life of the food and notify the consumer either the food is consumable or spoiled. Nano-supplements are integrated by the encapsulation method for efficient dietary as well as drug delivery systems. Nano-materials are not well evaluated for the health risk and environmental issues associated with it even the side-effects are unexploited. Various authorities are working prompt designing of guidelines and legislation policies for further acceptance of Nano-based materials in food packaging systems. Biologically synthesized nanoparticles will serve as a significant tool to conquer present contests that are linked with food packaging constituents.

Structural Properties of Biosurfactants of Lab

Unlike surfactants of chemical origin, which are characterized according to their nature, biosurfactants are generally characterized mostly by their chemical composition and origin. Biosurfactants are composed of hydrophilic moiety (polar, head) containing of amino acids, peptides, polysaccharides; and hydrophobic moiety (nonpolar tail) composed of fatty acids. The main cause that confines its commercialization is the inadequate knowledge of structural composition, so as to limiting its application as pharmaceuticals and therapeutic agents. Generally, biosurfactants obtained from LAB are found as multicomponent mixtures composed of polysaccharides, lipids, phosphate groups, and proteins. Structural properties are vital to design customized biosurfactants based on specific applications. Still, only inadequate information is available in the literature related to the biosurfactants derived from the LAB. Development in advanced chromatographic techniques, enhanced purification of the biosurfactant, and production from simpler medium could lead to determine structurally purified biosurfactants for future applications in food and therapeutics formulations.

Applications of Biosurfactants in Food

Chemically synthesized surfactants have been used in food formulations, but chemically synthesized surfactants have associated problems such as toxicity claims, their chemical nature, and being ultimately nonbiodegradable. The growing concern about environmentally friendly products generated by synthetic surfactants favors biosurfactants for their green nature, that is, low toxicity and biodegradable nature. Biosurfactants exhibit ideal properties for incorporation in food and cosmetic formulations, such as reduction in surface tension and their emulsification potential, especially edible oil emulsification. Furthermore, the antimicrobial and antibiofilm potential of biosurfactants could be of great interest for food processing and to avoid contamination in food processing areas. Their antioxidant potential and other properties further advocate their use as functional ingredients in various food preparations.

Biosurfactants of Probiotic Lactic Acid Bacteria

According to the definition of Food and Agriculture Organization of the Unites Nations and World Health Organization (FAO/WHO) “Probiotics are the live microbial preparation, when consumed, confer the health benefits to the consumer.” Lactic acid bacteria are recognized to produce various antimicrobial compounds such as bacteriocin, biosurfactants organic acids, carbon peroxide, diacetyl, low molecular weight antimicrobial substances, and hydrogen peroxide, which prevent the growth of potential pathogens. The use and possible application of biosurfactants in the biomedicals had increased in past decade. Their antimicrobial properties make them appropriate molecules for combating many pathogens and as therapeutic agents. Furthermore, their application as antibiofilm agents against commonly known pathogens specifies their effectiveness as appropriate anti-adhesive coating agents for biomedical insertional equipment. The present chapter covers all the biomedical aspects of biosurfactants of lactic acid bacteria in medical and therapeutic perceptions.

Microbial Metagenomics for Industrial and Environmental Bioprospecting: The Unknown Envoy

Microorganisms grown as laboratory strains have been the starting approach for the discovery of various industrially viable molecules now in use. Metagenomics, which exploits culture-independent approach to access the combined genomes of environmental microbial populations, offers a resource of exploring the microbial metabolites derived from the large pool of microorganisms that are known to exist in the environment but remain obstinate to laboratory culturing. Highly specific, tailor-made, novel microbial metabolites have been obtained using metagenomic methods for industrial and environmental sustainability. The application of microbial metagenomics is not limited to the population ecology but can also have huge scope for pharmaceutical and environmental sustainability. Thus, now the analysis in the real time about the expression of the particular gene is to be studied for the activity, efficacy, consistency and specificity. Combined exertions linking researchers from diverse fields comprising microbial genetics, genomics, bioinformatics and synthetic biology will be expected to be essential to the commendable potential of these unknown envoys for a sustainable future. The current developments in microbial metagenomics to the discovery of industrial important molecules will be discussed in the current book chapter.

Microbial Biosurfactants: Future Active Food Ingredients

Microbial surfactants are a structurally diverse group of surface-active molecules produced by microorganisms. The rising environmental apprehension about synthetic surfactants elicits awareness to microbial surfactants vitally because of low toxicity, stability to extreme environmental conditions, and biodegradability. Biosurfactants are mostly used in environmental removal of pollutants; however, biosurfactant also exhibits significant utility in various prospects of food processing sector. Emulsion formation, oil-water stabilization, and anti-biofilm, antiadhesive, and antimicrobial potential are characteristics of microbial surfactants, which might be considered as an active ingredient in food processing and formulation. Bearing in mind the community and scientific backgrounds, utilization of microbial surfactants, which are eco-friendly and significantly important, has turned out to be vital for food-related applications.

Development of Edible Biofilm Containing Cinnamon to Control Food-Borne Pathogen -

Edible films of pectin and whey protein containing antimicrobials i.e. Cinnamic acid, Cinnamon leaf essential oil and Cinnamon bark powder were developed and functionally characterized. The cinnamon essential oil showed significant antimicrobial activity against the common food borne pathogens viz. Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria monocytogenes. The edible films were further structurally characterized for the transparency of visible and UV light, functional group characterization using FTIR analysis and determination of total moisture content. Antimicrobial activity of these films made from the edible source and cinnamon essential oil were further examined toward the associated food contaminants such as E. coli, L. monocytogenes and S. aureus. Edible films of pectin and whey showed significant level of antimicrobial potential against the food associated pathogens and could be used as a sustainable solution to the conventional packaging material specifically used in food processing.

Properties of Biosurfactants

The growing environmental worry about synthetic chemical surfactants initiates responsiveness to microbial-derived biosurfactants fundamentally due to their low toxicity, stability, and biodegradable nature. Biosurfactants are primarily used in bioremediation of hydrocarbon pollutants; though, they show possible applications in various sectors of food processing industries. Related with emulsion forming and stabilization, antibiofilm and antimicrobial properties are some advantageous properties of biosurfactants, which could be recognized in food processing and formulation. Prospective applications of biosurfactants in food formulations and the use of agro-industrial substrates for their cost-effective production are discussed.

Classification and Properties of Biosurfactants

Microbial surfactants are amphiphilic mixtures compounds derived mainly from microbial cell surfaces extracellularly that decrease the surface tension and interfacial tensions at the surface. The vast diversity of microbial surface active agents makes them a remarkable biomaterial for effective applications in various fields such as food, feeds, agriculture formulations, human health, waste treatment, and environmental problems such as degradation of hydrocarbons. Biosurfactants display various properties such as high biodegradability, nontoxicity, effective critical micelle concentration, excellent surface activity, stability to various environmental factors such as range of pH, extreme temperature, and high-salt concentrations, that are the highly anticipated properties of microbial surfactants valuable for food processing.