Characterized as one of the most potent biosurfactants, surfactin is a cyclic lipopeptide synthesized by several strains of Bacillus genus. The aim of this review was to present the physicochemical and structural properties of surfactin and to demonstrate advances and applications of this biosurfactant for health and environmental biotechnology. Further, this review also focused on toxicological effects of surfactin on in vivo and in in vitro systems. The hydrophobic nature of surfactin enables interaction with membrane-bound phospholipids and indicates the ability of the molecule to act as a new weapon with respect to therapeutic and environmental properties. Seeking to avoid environmental contamination produced by widespread use of synthetic surfactants, surfactin emerges as a biological control agent against pathogen species owing to its antibacterial and antiviral properties. In addition, the mosquitocidal activity of surfactin was suggested as new strategy to control disease vectors. The current findings warrant future research to assess the toxicity of surfactin to enable an optimizing anticancer therapy and to seek refined methodologies, including nanotechnology techniques, to allow for an improved delivery of the biogenic molecule on target cells.

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表面活性素对健康和环境生物技术的毒性和应用

表面活性素被描述为最有效的生物表面活性剂之一，是由数个芽孢杆菌属菌株合成的环状脂肽。这篇综述的目的是介绍表面活性素的理化性质和结构性质，并论证该表面活性剂在健康和环境生物技术方面的进展和应用。此外，本综述还集中于表面活性素对体内和体外的毒理作用系统。表面活性素的疏水性质使之能与膜结合的磷脂相互作用，并表明该分子就治疗和环境性质而言充当新武器的能力。为了避免由于广泛使用合成表面活性剂而造成的环境污染，表面活性素因其抗菌和抗病毒特性而成为对抗病原体物种的生物防治剂。此外，表面活性素的灭蚊活性被认为是控制疾病载体的新策略。目前的发现需要进行进一步的研究，以评估表面活性素的毒性，以实现最佳的抗癌治疗，并寻求包括纳米技术在内的完善方法，以改善生物分子在靶细胞上的递送。