Lipophilic bacteria

Lipophilic bacteria (fat-loving bacteria) are bacteria that may proliferate in lipids.

Types

They include lipophilic corynebacteria.[1]

Propionibacterium acnes is a type of lipophilic bacteria,[2] releasing fatty acids and worsening comedones.

However, the group of lipophilic bacteria are not pathogenic, i.e. they don't cause food poisoning or food infection [3]

Health risks

Most materials in laboratories and health-care centers have small amounts of lipids on their surface, and thus may support the proliferation of lipophilic bacteria.[4] However, since they are not pathogenic,[3] this is not a serious threat.

Lipophilic bacteria may also proliferate in diet fat. However, in modern food industry this is very rare[3] and at worst causes a discoloration of the fat[3]

Commercial use

Many lipophilic bacteria are a good source of biosurfactants, hence are used commercially, e.g. Bacillus lichenoformis. These kinds of bacteria produce biosurfactants which replace chemically produced surfactants. Biosurfactans are degradable unlike the chemical ones.

References

  1. Clinical Microbiology of Coryneform Bacteria GUIDO FUNKE,1* ALEXANDER VON GRAEVENITZ,1 JILL E. CLARRIDGE III,2 AND KATHRYN A. BERNARD3 Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Zu¨rich, Zu¨rich, Switzerland1; Laboratory Service, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Departments of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas2; and Special Bacteriology Laboratory, Laboratory Centre for Disease Control, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada3
  2. Natural Acne Treatments Guide - How to get rid of pimples
  3. 1 2 3 4 The Action of Microorganisms on Fats By L. B. JENSEN and D. P. GRETTIE Swift & Company Laboratories, Chicago, Ill. (Published 1933, so feel free to replace)
  4. Postoperative endophthalmitis. Journal of Cataract & Refractive Surgery, Volume 30, Issue 11, Pages 2441-2444 C. Ferrer, J. Ruiz-Moreno, A. Rodríguez, J. Montero, J. Alió
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