Posted: October 2, 2006

Highly functional biosurfactants using yeasts

(Nanowerk News) With the collaboration of Toyobo Co., Ltd, Dai Kitamoto, Group Leader of the Biochemical Materials Group of the Research Institute for Innovation in Sustainable Chemistry, of the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), has succeeded in developing a highly functional biosurfactants.
The developed biosurfactants present superb skin moisturizing characteristics equivalent to those of natural ceramides, and it can be used in functional cosmetics and for other skin care products. The biosurfactants consist of only sugar and fatty acids, and are thus highly environmentally friendly. They can also be used for high-performance washing detergents and advanced nanomaterials, because they easily form a variety of liquid crystals in aqueous solutions.
The present biosurfactants also exhibit a spontaneous formation of capsules of nanometer size, so-called liposomes, which considerably improve the stability of cosmetic ingredients and their permeability to the skin.
Natural ceramides have been praised for its moisturizing properties, and together with hyaluronic acids, they have become a crucial material for skin care applications. However, the use of natural ceramides set its cost in the range from several hundred thousand yen to several million yen per kilogram. It has been therefore strongly desired to develop a safe product with characteristics similar to natural ceramides at a lower cost. The present R&D has enabled us to develop the desired moisturizing materials, using yeast fermentation processes and vegetable oils.
Source: AIST