Review on Current Research on Biosynthesis of Biosurfactants and the Regulation Influenced by Metal Ions.

Biosurfactants, amphiphilic secondary metabolites mainly produced by microorganisms, can be categorized into five groups according to their chemical structure and source: glycolipids, lipopeptides, phospholipids, polymeric biosurfactants, and particulate surfactants. The hydrophobic segments of biosurfactants typically contain fatty acids of varying chain lengths, while their hydrophilic portions display a wide range of diversity. Diverse biosurfactants have distinct metabolic pathways. Glycolipids are usually associated with glycolysis/gluconeogenesis and fatty acid metabolism, while lipopeptides are closely connected to non-ribosomal peptide synthetase. Particulate biosurfactants are formed through the anabolic pathway of phospholipids, with amino acid metabolism and carbohydrate metabolism being crucial components in the process of creating polar head groups. Metal ions are critical for either directly influencing strain growth or governing genes connected to biosurfactants production. This review explores the synthesis pathways of various biosurfactants and examines the influence of different metal ions on their production.