Abstract:

Surfactin, a cyclic lipopeptide biosurfactant synthesized by Bacillus sp., exhibits exceptional surface activity, emulsifying properties, and broad-spectrum antimicrobial properties. Surfactin has significant potential for applications in detergents, biomedicine, petroleum recovery, agriculture, and food industry. However, its industrial production remains limited by low yield, detection challenges, and high costs. In this review, three core research areas of surfactin have been systematically summarized: In terms of detection, a multi-level analytical framework has been established, ranging from traditional preliminary screening techniques based on surface activity to high-precision instrumental methods; in terms of synthesis, integrated strategies including classical mutagenesis, metabolic engineering, and synthetic biology have significantly enhanced surfactin production, while fermentation process optimization further promotes its industrialization; in terms of application, surfactin shows promising potential as a sustainable alternative in green daily chemicals, anticancer and antimicrobial therapeutics, microbial enhanced oil recovery, agricultural biocontrol, and food preservation. Future advances will rely on the integration of multi-omics and synthetic biology tools to construct efficient cell factories and optimize production processes, thereby facilitating the large-scale application of surfactin within a sustainable development framework.

Key words: surfactin, detection method, efficient synthesis, metabolic engineering, biosurfactant, application prospect