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Transitioning to Green Textile Manufacturing: The Synergistic Role of Microbial Enzymes and Biosurfactants

Neelam Ware

BTRA Scan – Vol. LV No. 4 , October, 2026, Page no. 15-18 DOI: 10.70225/105617gdssbs

Keywords: Microbial Enzymes; Biosurfactants; Wet Processing; Interfacial Synergy; Bio-scouring; Textile Wastewater Remediation

Abstract

The textile industry is under severe pressure to replace highly polluting chemical processes with eco-friendly alternatives. While individual applications of microbial enzymes (e.g., cellulases, amylases, pectinases, laccases) and microbially derived biosurfactants (e.g., rhamnolipids, sophorolipids, surfactin) have advanced sustainable textile processing, their combined, synergistic application represents an unmapped frontier. This review comprehensively analyzes the multi-faceted mechanisms driving the synergistic relationship between microbial enzymes and biosurfactants across wet processing operations including desizing, scouring, bleaching, biopolishing, and wastewater remediation. Studyexplores how biosurfactants enhance enzyme performance by reducing interfacial tension, improving fiber wetting, and stabilizing enzymatic tertiary structures against harsh process dynamics. Simultaneously, enzymatic modification of fabric surfaces exposes localized domains, allowing optimal biosurfactant micellization and localized activity. Finally, we address current techno-economic bottlenecks, scale-up barriers, and future multi-omics-driven strategies required to commercialize this binary biomolecular framework for next-generation circular textile manufacturing.

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