Evaluation of the antifungal activity of sophorolipids from Starmerella bombicola against food spoilage fungi

Abstract Sophorolipids are biomolecules with great potential to be explored in the food industry due to their efficient antimicrobial activity. Therefore, in this study, sophorolipids were produced by Starmerella bombicola, structurally characterized and applied as a sanitizing agent against the foodborne fungi Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus melleus, Aspergillus ochraceus, Aspergillus parasiticus, Aspergillus niger, Fusarium oxysporum, Botrytis cinerea and Rhizopus spp. The sophorolipids production in the bioreactor was 67 g/L with a productivity of 0.56 g/L h−1 at 120 h. The predominant structure in the sophorolipids was the lactonic form, which was effective in the inhibition of all tested food spoilage fungi. Sophorolipids constitute a new possibility as an innovative sanitizing agent, controlling the microbial spoilage of foods and enhancing food safety.