Functional Roles of Microbial Biosurfactants in Pharmaceutical Formulation and Targeted Drug Delivery

ABSTRACT Amphiphilic microorganisms, such as Candida , Pseudomonas , Bacillus , Mycobacterium , and Acinetobacter , are well known to secrete biosurfactants. These surface‐active compounds, often referred to by various names including glycolipids, lipopeptides, and polymeric biosurfactants, have gained considerable significance owing to their diverse applications in industrial processes, chemical drug synthesis, and environmental remediation. Biosurfactants are preferred over conventional surfactants because of their inherent physicochemical attributes, including low toxicity, biodegradability, and stress tolerance. This review encompasses various applications of biosurfactants as drug delivery agents, including lowering interfacial and surface tension, solubilizing hydrophobic drugs, and facilitating the membrane passage of drugs. Glycolipid (sophorolipids and rhamnolipids) and lipopeptide (surfactin) molecules possess inhibitory effects against bacterial processes (antibacterial), inflammatory processes (anti‐inflammatory), and cancer processes (anti‐cancer), and thus represent potential candidates for combating infections involving biofilms and resistant pathogens. Their potential to act through vesicles and micelles leads to the encapsulation and delivery of therapeutic molecules with increased target specificity and bioavailability. Biosurfactants play a significant role in nanomedicine, particularly in nanoemulsion and liposomal drug formulations. Despite their immense promise, shortcomings such as expensive production, tedious purification, and lack of regulation limit their broader application. The present review demands innovative biosynthetic processes by virtue of microbial genetic manipulation and agricultural‐industrial by‐products to eliminate these shortcomings. Biosurfactants have another important attribute of immunomodulatory activity, enhance wound healing, and provide a complement to conventional therapeutics, thus acting as game‐changers in precision and regenerative medicine. By addressing knowledge gaps and integrating recent developments, this review establishes the translational potential of biosurfactants for green chemical drug discovery and health technologies.