Biochemistry & Pharmacology: Open Access
Open Access

Abstract

Biosurfactants: A New Pharmaceutical Additive for Solubility Enhancement and Pharmaceutical Development

Sandeep Singh Bhadoriya, Narendra Madoriya, Karunakar Shukla and Parihar MS

Biosurfactants are structurally diverse group of surface-active substances produced by microorganisms. At present, biosurfactants have gained importance in the pharmaceutical, biomedical, cosmetic and food industry, with a high added value, are still developing. Surfactants have numerous uses in pharmaceuticals, for solubilization of hydrophobic drugs in aqueous media, as components of emulsion or surfactant self-assembly vehicles for oral and transdermal drug delivery, as plasticizers in semisolid delivery systems, and agents to improve drug absorption and as penetration enhancer. Many pharmaceuticalgrade surfactants consist of saccharide- or polyol-fatty acid esters or fatty alcohol ethers that are biosurfactant. This article describes classical and new biosurfactants’ producing bacteria along with their significant role as pharmaceutical additives in development of pharmaceuticals and to encourage its use in solubility or bioavailability enhancement of poorly soluble drugs.