Eco-friendly Biosurfactant from Wickerhamomyces anomalus CCMA 0358 as Larvicidal and Antimicrobial

Abstract Kitchen waste oil (KWO) was evaluated as a substrate for production of biosurfactant by Wickerhamomyces anomalus CCMA 0358 and was tested against Aedes aegypti larvae, the mosquito causing neglected diseases, such as dengue fever, Zika, and Chikungunya, achieving 100% mortality in the lowest concentration (6.25%) evaluated in 24 h. Furthermore, possible applications of this compound were evaluated as antibacterial, antiadhesive, and antifungal. At a concentration of 50%, the biosurfactant was found to inhibit the growth of Bacillus cereus, showing high inhibitions levels against Salmonella Enteritidis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli. The antifungal activity was evaluated against Aspergillus, Cercospora, Colletotrichum, and Fusarium, obtaining results of up to 95% inhibition. In addition to these promising results, the yeast W. anomalus produced the biosurfactant from an inexpensive substrate, which increases the possibility of its application in several industries owing to the low cost involved.