Common biosurfactants include:
* Bile salts are mixtures of micelle-forming compounds that encapsulate food, enabling absorption through the small intestine.
* Lecithin, which can be obtained either from soybean or from egg yolk, is a common food ingredient.
* Rhamnolipids, which can be produced by some species of Pseudomonas, e.g., Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
* Sophorolipids are produced by various nonpathogenic yeasts.
* Emulsan produced by Acinetobacter calcoaceticus.
Microbial biosurfactants are obtained by including immiscible liquids in the growth medium.