Vecino, XanelBarbosa Pereira, LetriciaDevesa-Rey, RosaCruz, José ManuelMoldes, Ana B.2025-01-312025-01-312015Vecino, X., Barbosa-Pereira, L., Devesa-Rey, R., Cruz, J. M., & Moldes, A. B. (2015). Optimization of liquid–liquid extraction of biosurfactants from corn steep liquor. Bioprocess and Biosystems Engineering, 38(9), 1629–1637. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00449-015-1404-91615-7591https://hdl.handle.net/10347/39418In this work, the optimization of the operational conditions for the chloroform-based extraction of surface-active compounds from corn steep liquor (CSL) was carried out and the nutritional properties of the remnant aqueous phase (CSL-less biosurfactant) was evaluated as microbial fermentation medium. The optimal conditions to obtain biosurfactants from CSL were as follows: chloroform/CSL ratio 2 (v/v), 56 °C at extraction times >30 min. At the optima conditions, 100 % of biosurfactant extract can be obtained from CSL, obtaining 12.0 ± 0.5 g of biosurfactant extract/Kg of CSL. The critical micelle concentration (CMC) of the biosurfactant extract was 399.4 mg L−1. This value is similar to the CMC of cetrimonium bromide (CTAB), a cationic surfactant used in the formulation of nanoparticles. The extraction of biosurfactant can be also carried out at room temperature although in this case, the extraction yield decreased about 15 %. The extraction of surface-active compounds from agroindustrial streams can suppose important advances for the bio-based surfactants industry. Biosurfactants obtained in this work are not only more eco-friendly than chemical detergents but also can be cost competitive with its chemical counterparts. Furthermore, after the extraction of surface-active compounds, CSL-less biosurfactant was found to be suitable as nutritional supplement for lactic acid bacteria, maintaining its nutritional properties in comparison with regular CSLeng© SpringerCorn steep liquorIndustrial streamLiquid– 36 liquid processBiosurfactantNutritional medium2301 química analíticajournal article10.1007/s00449-015-1404-9restricted access