Elucidation of Kinetic Studies in Biosurfactant Fermentative Production and Their Behaviour: A Mini Review

Bioprocess engineering, which include kinetic behaviour, is a fundamental form of developing effective product performance and functionality. Kinetic studies are one of the most important steps in any bioprocess and bioproduct development to elucidate the production phase and product behaviour. The lack of comprehensive understanding and limited knowledge of the kinetic behaviour of biosurfactant production, especially in the complex fermentation process involving microorganisms, substrate, and product formation, is major challenge and hinder the development of optimized biosurfactant in the industrial scale. Kinetic studies in the field of biosurfactants need to be emphasized to better understand the mechanisms of biosurfactant formation through biomass growth and substrate consumption. In this mini-review, various kinetic models used in biosurfactant work were critically discussed. The objective of this study is to analyze the kinetic studies of biomass growth, biosurfactant formation and substrate consumption focusing on the biosurfactant itself. This review revealed the various kinetic models used in fermentative biosurfactant production and how the different models were used and interpreted based on different substrates and biosurfactant-producing microorganisms. A key feature of this review is its focus on the biosurfactant, which provides valuable insights into the factors that maximize productivity and improve scale-up. Based on previous works, the logistic model is preferred to represent biomass growth, biosurfactant formation and substrate consumption due to its simplicity and rationale. Throughout this study, the kinetic profile of the biosurfactant able to be established and serve as a foundation for the prediction of the biosurfactant behaviour.