BIOSURFACTANTS AS SMART BIOCOMPATIBLE AGENTS IN PHARMACEUTICAL DRUG DELIVERY: ADVANCES IN FORMULATION, CHARACTERIZATION, AND THERAPEUTIC APPLICATIONS

Biosurfactants are a diverse group of amphiphilic biomolecules derived from microbial sources, offering a promising alternative to synthetic surfactants for pharmaceutical applications. Their exceptional biocompatibility, biodegradability, and low toxicity make them attractive candidates for drug delivery systems. This review comprehensively explores the principles, types, and production of biosurfactants, with a specific focus on their integration into advanced pharmaceutical formulations. Various biosurfactant classes – including glycolipids, lipopeptides, and polymeric and particulate biosurfactants – are discussed in detail, highlighting their structural features and functional relevance. The production process, encompassing microbial fermentation, isolation, purification, and formulation strategies, such as micelles, nanoemulsions, liposomes, solid lipid nanoparticles, and hydrogels, is critically analyzed. Characterization techniques, including tensiometry, spectroscopy, electron microscopy, and biocompatibility assays, are also reviewed. Key pharmaceutical applications, such as solubility enhancement, controlled and targeted delivery, gene and protein transport, wound healing, cancer therapy, and vaccine delivery are addressed with current strategic advancements. The review concludes by outlining future perspectives, emphasizing synthetic biology, personalized nanomedicine, and artificial intelligence as tools to enhance biosurfactant utilization in drug delivery. Overall, biosurfactants represent a sustainable, multifunctional platform for next-generation therapeutic systems.