Emulsion Formation Research Articles

Menhaden fish oil encapsulation by spray drying process: influence of different biopolymer materials, inlet air temperature and emulsion ratios

AbstractBACKGROUNDIncorporating fish oils into commonly consumed foods is an emerging technique for increasing the daily intake of omega‐3 fatty acid. However, the high vulnerability of fish oil towards oxidative deterioration reduces shelf life stability. Microencapsulation by spray drying with different combinations of biopolymers and other parameters may provide a solution by preventing further oxidation of fish oil and permitting its delivery to food items. This study emphasised the influence of developed biopolymer materials (maltodextrin, maltodextrin + gum arabic, maltodextrin + starch, maltodextrin + whey protein isolates and maltodextrin + sodium caseinate) for emulsion formulation, inlet air temperature (160, 170, 180, 190 and 200 °C) and emulsion ratios (15, 20, 25, 30 and 35%) on the physicochemical properties of powdered menhaden fish oil by spray drying technique.RESULTSMicroencapsulated menhaden fish oil was evaluated for its moisture content, size distribution, microcapsule efficiency, peroxide value, free fatty acid, acid value and morphological structure. It was observed that the coating materials of maltodextrin + whey protein isolates gave the lowest moisture content and peroxide value of 4.410% and 4.031 mEq kg−1, respectively. The morphological images showed a smooth surface with no cracks and minimal shrinkage, indicating lower permeability to gases and effectively protecting the oil against deterioration.CONCLUSIONThe spray drying procedure using maltodextrin + whey protein isolates at an inlet air temperature 190 °C and emulsion ratio of 30% successfully produced fish oil microcapsules with improved properties. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).

W/O/W type lotion formulation of “arum manis” mango (Mangifera indica L.) pell as antioxidant

Arum manis mango peel contains compounds, namely flavonoids. Flavonoid compounds act as natural antioxidants. The weakness of flavonoid compounds is that they are not stable to the influence of high temperature and light intensity, so that the arum manis mango peel extract is made in the form of lotion type W/O/W. This study aims to determine the physical characteristics and stability of the W/O/W type emulsion form optimum formula in double emulsion preparations and lotion preparations, determine the stability of W/O/W type lotion preparations during storage using the cycling test method and determine the IC50 value in the optimum formula. lotion preparation type W/O/W. The optimum formula for double emulsion type W/O/W is found in formula 5 with a ratio of primary emulsion: secondary emulsion (80%:20%) with span 80 (10%) and tween 20 (5%) concentrations while the optimum formula for lotion preparations found in formula 3 with a ratio of double emulsion type W/O/W: lotion base (80%:20%) with a concentration of stearic acid (5%), cetyl alcohol (2.5%) and glycerin (10%). In the antioxidant activity of lotion preparations, the IC50 value was 136.543 ppm and the stability test on the cycling test method had an unstable form.

Artesunate Dry Emulsion Formulation Combined with Antibiotics for Treatment of Helicobacter pylori Infections: In Vitro/In Vivo Evaluation.

Helicobacter pylori is the primary pathogen responsible for causing gastroduodenal ulcers and stomach cancer. The standard treatment for H. pylori typically involves a combination of antibiotics and acid-reducing medications. However, the recurrence of ulcers is closely linked to the emergence of antibiotic resistance in H. pylori, necessitating the development of alternative drugs. This report focuses on the investigation of artesunate as a potential alternative to reduce antibiotic use and enhance effectiveness against H. pylori. Unfortunately, commercial artesunate is available in an acid form, which has poor solubility, especially in gastric acid fluid. The aim of this study is to utilize a water-soluble formulation of artesunate called dry emulsion formulation (ADEF) and combine it with amoxicillin to eradicate H. pylori. In vitro studies were conducted to evaluate the activity of ADEF against H. pylori and determine its inhibitory concentrations. In addition, pharmacokinetic parameters of orally administered ADEF and native artesunate were investigated in rats for in vivo studies. The results showed that when combined with amoxicillin and pantoprazole, ADEF exhibited effectiveness against H. pylori. It is worth noting that the solubility of ADEF in gastric acid appears to be a critical factor for achieving successful treatment. Consequently, ADEF could be considered a promising candidate for H. pylori therapy.

An original continuous process for double emulsions preparation using static mixers: Focus on the viscosity

A novel method for the preparation of water-in-oil-in-water (W/O/W) double emulsions is proposed and evaluated in this work. It is based on the classical two-step method in which the inner water-in-oil (W/O) emulsion is prepared using a high shear device (first batch step). This inner emulsion is then dispersed continuously in an aqueous phase using in line static mixers as second emulsification step for the formation of double emulsions. This somehow semi-continuous preparation method is evaluated when varying the viscosity of the three phases (from 1 to 100 mPa s) and the internal aqueous phase fraction (from 1 to 40 wt %). Under the investigated conditions, the use of static mixers is shown to be efficient for the formation of double emulsions with monomodal droplet size distributions and high encapsulation efficiency despite the shear thinning behavior of the inner emulsions. A correlation was established to relate the viscosity of the inner (W/O) emulsion with the fraction of the inner phase, that was found to be independent of the viscosity of the inner water phase. Moreover, it was possible to control the range of variation of the droplets size of the double emulsion from some tens to hundreds of micrometers while the residence time is less than a second. This fast and efficient double emulsion preparation process constitutes a promising alternative to classical batch processes.

Solubility Enhancement, Formulation and Evaluation of Solid Tablet of Tinidazole

To attain the necessary concentration of medication in the systemic circulation for the predicted pharmacological response, solubility the phenomenon of solute dissolving in solvent to produce a homogeneous system is a crucial characteristic to consider. The primary challenge in developing formulations for both novel chemical entities and generics is their low water solubility. Formulation scientists face a significant obstacle in solubility. The Classification of Biopharmaceutics states that APIs from Classes II and IV have reduced bioavailability, dissolution, and solubility. The article covers a range of technologies that can be used to make drugs that aren't very water-soluble more soluble. These include crystal engineering, pharmaceutical salts, drug nanocrystals, solid dispersion methods, polymeric micelle preparation, cosolvents, micelles, microemulsions, and emulsion formation. Physical and chemical drug modifications, crystal engineering, salt formation, solid dispersion, surfactant use, micronization, solid dispersions, nano sizing, cyclodextrin complexation, and other advanced methodologies are primarily described in this review. Other methods also contribute to improving solubility and bioavailability. It was an effort to talk about different complexation methods and to quickly point out their possible uses, as well as their technical and economic limits.

Synthesis of Composite Polymer Particles by Seeded Emulsion Polymerization and Formation of Photonic Crystals Based on Them

Submicron composite particles with the core/shell structure are synthesized by the seeded emulsion polymerization of a mixture of various acrylates in the presence of a redox initiation system. The diameter, morphology, and surface structure of particles as well as their ability to self-assemble into 3D ordered thin-film structures are studied by scanning electron microscopy, FTIR spectroscopy, thermogravimetry, and dynamic light scattering. It is shown that under the used experimental conditions particles with a shell thickness of 10‒35 nm are synthesized. The effect of shell composition (in particular, the alkyl chain length of acrylate comonomers) on the morphology and structure of the surface layer of the obtained composite particles is traced.

Single-step generation of double emulsions in aqueous two-phase systems

This communication presents a simple yet straightforward method for preparing water-in-water-in-water particle-stabilized double emulsions, also known as Pickering double emulsions. The approach involves using oppositely charged nanoparticles (OCNPs) in two distinct fluid phases, promoting self-assembly and the formation of aggregates with varying sizes and compositions. By enhancing the interfacial area through the adsorption of aggregates at the interface, this method increases the Gibbs detachment energy of particles between the two aqueous phases, forming stable double emulsions. Furthermore, we investigated the impact of the molecular weight of polyethylene oxide and dextran in the respective fluid phases and the mass ratio (M) of the OCNPs on double emulsion formation. The results demonstrate that the molecular weight of the polymers used in the aqueous phase is a critical parameter influencing the structural formation of the emulsion and the generation of double emulsions. Consequently, double emulsions are formed when equal molecular weight polymer mixtures are employed at an appropriate M, with the dispersed phase placed in the highly viscous continuous phase. The proposed method offers a one-step synthesis process, enabling easy preparation, and exhibits excellent stability for at least 30 days. This study represents the first reported approach for the one-step synthesis of multiple emulsions in an aqueous two-phase system utilizing a Pickering emulsion template.

Hydration effects of insoluble soybean fiber (ISF) on rheological properties and freeze-thaw stability of ISF concentrated emulsions.

Concentrated emulsions have been formulated in many foods. The insoluble soybean fiber (ISF) can be utilized as a particle to stabilize concentrated emulsions. However, the approach to control the rheological properties and stability of the ISF concentrated emulsions is still worth investigating. In this study, alkali-extracted ISF was hydrated by adding sodium chloride or heating and the prepared concentrated emulsions were subjected to freeze-thawing. Compared with the original hydration method, salinization reduced the absolute ζ-potential of the ISF dispersions to 6 mV, resulting in a lower absolute ζ-potential of the concentrated emulsions, which led to a decreased electrostatic repulsion and the largest droplet size, but to the lowest apparent viscosity, viscoelastic modulus, and stability. By contrast, hydration by heating promoted the interparticle interactions, and then a decreased droplet size (54.5 μm) but with a more densely distributed droplets was observed, together with enhanced viscosity and viscoelasticity properties. The fortified network structure improved the stability of the concentrated emulsions both against high-speed centrifugation and long-term storage. Additionally, secondary emulsification after freeze-thaw further improved the performance of the concentrated emulsions. The results suggest that the formation and stability of the concentrated emulsion could be regulated by different hydration methods of particles, which could be adjusted according to the practical applications. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Emulgel: An Effective Drug Delivery System

When emulgel comes to administering hydrophobic medications, many of the benefits of gels are also severe disadvantages. An emulsion-based strategy is adapted to bypass barriers, giving even a hydrophobic medicinal component to take advantage of the special features of gels. Emulgel is a dosage form that combines gels and emulsions. The utilization of novel polymers has sparked a lot of curiosity in recent years. The direct convenience of the skin as a target organ for diagnostic and therapeutic objectives distinguishes dermatological pharmacology. Both hydrophilic and hydrophobic chemicals are blocked by this barrier is created by combining hydrophilic horn cells with a hydrophobic intercellular medium. Within the primary group of semi-solid preparations, the use of opaque gels in cosmetics and pharmaceutical preparations has grown. By lowering surface and interfacial tensions while raising aqueous phase viscosity, these chemicals allow the formation of stable emulsions and creams. An emulgel is created by adding a gelling ingredient to a conventional emulsion's aqueous phase. In various ways, these emulsifiers exceed both novel vesicular systems and traditional systems. Using various permeation enhancers, emulsifiers could be used as better topical medication delivery systems than they are today. The use of emulsifiers can be expanded to include analgesics and antifungals. Analgesics and antifungals can both benefit from emulsifiers. We discuss the types, advantages, marked emulgel, formulation of emulgel, emulgel preparation, and characterization.

Propofol Quantification method in Palm Oil Based Nanoemulsion Formula using RP-HPLC

HPLC is one of the methods that is widely used for the routine determination of drug content in a pharmaceutical dosage form. The objective on this research was to develop a simple method to determine the propofol concentration in a new formulation using a palm oil-based nanoemulsion carrier system (NEMS™ MCT/LCT). The method used was reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) using a C18 column with methanol and water (80:20) as the mobile phase and UV wavelength detection was 276 nm. The retention time obtained for the drug in NEMS MCT/LCT was 6.32 min. This was similar to the retention time of the standard. The correlation coefficient value from the calibration curve was 0.9998. The drug contents were 100.90% and 100.24% for the 1% and 2% NEMS MCT/LCT, respectively. The result indicated that the RP-HPLC method used for the analysis of propofol in the palm oil-based emulsion system was able to accurately determine the concentration of the drug.This method is suitable for routine determination of propofol concentration in palm oil-based emulsion formulations.

Development of emulsified acid system (EAS) using organoclays (OC): Rheology and implication to the acidizing

Matrix acidizing is a well-stimulation technique extensively used in the petroleum industry to increase well productivity by removing scales and creating channels in the rocks. However, conventional acidizing fluids used in this process have some limitations such as rapid reactions with scale and fines, high acid strength, and corrosion of equipment at high temperatures. To address these issues, emulsified acid system (EAS) is used in fracturing and acidizing operations for carbonate reservoirs to improve well productivity by removing formation damage. EAS can help to improve well productivity by creating deeper and narrower wormholes through reduced reaction rates of acid due to the external oil phase. However, EAS has limitations such as low stability at high temperatures, high viscosity that restricts pumping rates, potential formation damage, and difficulty in achieving homogenous mixing. Pickering emulsions, which use solid microparticles as a stabilizer instead of surfactants, show promise in overcoming these challenges due to their easy preparation, good thermal stability, and low viscosity at high shear rates.This study investigates the use of different types of organoclays (OC) for the development of an emulsified HCl acid systems for carbonate reservoirs. Several experiments were conducted to demonstrate and evaluate the use of OC for EAS and to improve field operations. To advance the development of EAS, a meticulous process was undertaken to select and optimize OCs as the key component. It include mineral characterization by XRD and XRF techniques, optimization of OC concentration (250–1000 ppm), and mixing speed (4000–8000 RPM). The thermal stability of the EAS was evaluated for a temperature range of 25–160 °C and a comprehensive analysis of EAS rheology (0.1–1000 sec−1) was performed. The conductivity, drop-test analysis, as well as micrographic analysis, were carried out to ensure the formation of invert emulsion. It was found that the required mixing speed was 6000 RPM and the optimum OC concentration was 500 ppm for developing a stable invert emulsion. The viscosity of the EAS shows increasing trends with an increase in temperature at the low shear rates (below 10 sec−1); however, at high shear rates (higher than 10 sec−1), the EAS viscosity decreases with temperature. The study found that OCs are promising emulsifiers for creating EAS with good thermal stability and low viscosity at high shear rates. The EAS formulated using OC were robust and thermally stable, making them suitable for field mixing procedures. Additionally, the OC used in the study are cost-effective, readily available, environmentally friendly, and have a high surface area, making them advantageous as an emulsifier.

Experimental study on the effect of high water cut on the emulsifying properties of crude oil

Most waterflooding oilfields have entered the high water cut stage, but significant amounts of crude oil remain in the formation. Therefore, understanding the emulsifying characteristics of crude oil with high water content is crucial. This study investigates the effects of shear time, shear rate, temperature, water content, and re-emulsification at high water content on the emulsifying properties of crude oil. Results indicate that shear time, temperature, and water content play a role in enhancing the emulsifying capacity of crude oil. Additionally, the initial water content of the emulsion affects the solubilization ability of crude oil; lower initial water content leads to stronger solubilization ability, while higher total water content leads to weaker solubilization capacity. Under an optical microscope, the morphology of the emulsion was observed, revealing that an increase in water content resulted in an increase in particle size and quantity of emulsion droplets, leading to more uniform droplets. However, at high water content, the particle size of emulsion decreased, the number of droplets decreased, and the droplets became uneven. Furthermore, the particle size of re-emulsified emulsion was smaller than that of the emulsion with the same moisture content, indicating that re-emulsification can lead to instability. The interfacial characteristics of the emulsion were also analyzed, showing that an increase in water content caused an increase in interfacial tension and expansion modulus of emulsion compared to crude oil. Finally, the study elucidates the influence mechanism of high-water content on the emulsifying performance of crude oil, which includes the destruction of molecular forces on and between interfaces, weakening the steric hindrance effect. Unstable film and non-uniform droplets can promote coalescence and fragmentation of droplets, limiting the emulsifying performance of crude oil. The results of this study provide a better understanding of the formation and fracture process of emulsion under high water cut conditions, offering a theoretical basis for further enhanced oil recovery.

Enzymatically produced nanocellulose as emulsifier for Pickering emulsion

With the increasing demand for label-friendly emulsion products, chemical treatments and the addition of non-natural ingredients are inadvisable in food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical sectors. The current research proposed a green development strategy from nanocellulose production to emulsion preparation, i.e., enzymatically prepared nanocellulose (ENC) for stabilizing O/W Pickering emulsions. Benefiting from a mild enzymatic reaction, ENC inherently had low Zeta potential and oil/water interfacial tension, facilitating the formation of stable Pickering emulsions. Biphasic fluorescence staining, emulsion polymerization, and rheology were employed to investigate the emulsification characteristics of ENC, establishing the interfacial adsorption behavior and concentration-dependent phase behavior of ENC-stabilized Pickering emulsions. Importantly, due to strong particle-particle and interface-particle interactions dominated by van der Waals forces and hydrogen bonding, ENC-stabilized Pickering emulsions exhibited excellent stability under different temperatures, pH values, NaCl concentrations, and centrifugation. This work provides a green pathway for the development of nanocellulose-based Pickering emulsions.

Emulsion formation during enzymatic protein hydrolysis and its effect on protein recovery and molecular weight distribution of protein hydrolysates from sardine (Sardina pilchardus) by-products

Recovery of protein is one of the important variables to optimise enzymatic hydrolysis of fish processing by-products. This study investigated the role played by emulsion formation on protein recovery and the molecular weight distribution of the protein hydrolysates at different solids concentration of fish processing by-products with a high oil content. Solids concentration of fish processing by-products was varied between 26 and 50% at constant pH of 7.8, 60 °C hydrolysis temperature and 4% enzyme dosage using Alcalase 2.4L. The results showed that emulsion formation, more than inhibition of enzyme activity, at high solids concentration contributed to the reduction in yield of dry solids and protein recovery. Emulsion formation also led to the presence of high molecular weight lipo-protein complexes in the protein hydrolysates, which caused an increase in the average molecular weight of the hydrolysates. The findings show the negative relationship between solids concentration, protein recovery and emulsion formation in enzymatic hydrolysis, and the need for methods that eliminate or reduce emulsion formation at high solids concentration without increasing process complexity or reducing protein recovery.

Waste cooking oil invert emulsion drilling mud formulation with an effective H2S scavenging performance

Encountering hydrogen sulfide while drilling/stimulating subterranean formations is very common in upstream oil and gas industry. If not effectively scavenged in-situ, this lethal gas will escape to the surface causing serious health and safety problems and potential losses in human lives, in addition to significant economic penalties. Additionally, the release of waste cooking oils to the drainage/sewage systems will lead to some serious operational problems during the treatment of the collected sewage wastewaters. Thus, the key objective of this study is to convert the waste cooking oils from a burden into a valuable commodity via utilizing them for the formulation of invert emulsion drilling fluids. The waste cooking oil invert emulsion drilling mud was stabilized partially by rhamnolipid biosurfactant as a secondary emulsifier. The mud also contained hydrophobic zinc nanoparticles (NPs) as a weighting agent. To provide these waste cooking oil-based drilling muds with an effective H2S scavenging performance, a small quantity (1 wt%) of potassium permanganate was added. Despite the small quantity of the added scavenger, the mud formulation was able to scavenge 99.4 and 237.7 mg H2S/g scavenger at the breakthrough and saturation time, respectively. These H2S scavenged capacities demonstrate the feasibility of incorporating potassium permanganate, which is cheap and abundant material, into waste cooking oil invert emulsion drilling mud formulations. The flow behavior and the viscosity of the waste cooking oil-based mud comprising the H2S scavenger were found to be comparable to those reported in the literature for oil-based muds (OBMs) containing NPs.

High internal phase Pickering emulsions stabilised by ultrasound-induced soy protein-β-glucan-catechin complex nanoparticles to enhance the stability and bioaccessibility of curcumin

Aims To evaluate the potential applications of soy protein–glucan–catechin (SGC) complexes prepared with different ultrasound times in stabilising high internal phase Pickering emulsion (HIPPE) and delivering curcumin. Methods The SGC complexes were characterised by particle size, morphology, zeta potential, Fourier transform infra-red, and fluorescence spectroscopy. Formation and stability of curcumin emulsions were monitored by droplet size, microstructure, rheological property, lipid oxidation, and in vitro digestion. Results Short-time ultrasound-induced complexes (SGC-U15) exhibited a small size and wettability of ∼82.5°. The chemical stability and bioaccessibility of curcumin was greatly improved by SGC-U15-stabilised HIPPEs, even after 70 days of storage, heating at 100 °C for 30 min, ultraviolet irradiation for 120 min, and in vitro digestion, owing to the formation of elastic gel-like structure at the oil/water interfaces. Conclusion Our findings may contribute to the design of emulsion-based delivery systems using ultrasound-induced protein–polysaccharide–polyphenol complexes.

Experimental investigation of emulsion formation and stability: Comparison of low salinity water and smart water effect

Effect of the presence of NaCl, Na2SO4, MgCl2 and CaCl2 as smart water with different salinity was investigated in the formation and stability of the emulsion. Three methods were used to evaluate the emulsion stability. The first method, the amount of water separated from each sample, after 14 days of emulsion preparation, was recorded and examined. Bottle test was the second method to evaluate the stability during which the emulsion samples were monitored for up to 14 days. In the third method, a microscopic image was taken from each sample, and the mean droplet area for each sample was recorded. By adding Na2SO4 to a concentration of 8000 ppm in distilled water, the most stable emulsion was obtained, which was completely stable for up to 48 h, and after two weeks of preparation of the emulsion, almost only 10% of the aqueous phase was separated from the emulsion. And the microscopic image showed that in this case, the mean droplet area is 17 μm2, which, compared to other salts in different concentrations, had the lowest amount. On the other hand, salt NaCl with a concentration of 40,000 ppm formed the most unstable emulsion, which after 14 days, almost the entire aqueous phase was separated from the emulsion. By microscopic image analysis, the average droplets area was 58 μm2 for NaCl with 40000 ppm concentration, which is the highest value compared to other samples. While seawater was used to make the emulsion, ten times diluted seawater formed the most stable emulsion.

Efficacy of acidified water-in-oil emulsions against desiccated Salmonella as a function of acid carbon chain-length and membrane viscosity.

Sanitizing low-moisture food (LMF) processing equipment is challenging due to the increased heat resistance of Salmonella spp. in low-water activity (aw) environments. Food-grade oils mixed with acetic acid have been shown effective against desiccated Salmonella. In this study, different hydrocarbon chain-length (Cn) organic acids were tested against desiccated Salmonella by using 1% v/v water-in-oil (W/O) emulsion as the delivery system for 200 mM acid. Fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) was utilized with a BODIPY-based molecular rotor to evaluate membrane viscosity under environmental conditions such as desiccation and temperature elevation. Drying hydrated Salmonella cells to 75% equilibrium relative humidity (ERH) increased the membrane viscosity from 1,199 to 1,309 mPa·s (cP) at 22°C. Heating to 45°C decreased the membrane viscosity of hydrated cells from 1,199 to 1,082 mPa·s, and decreased that of the desiccated cells from 1,309 to 1,245 mPa·s. At both 22°C and 45°C, desiccated Salmonella was highly susceptible (>6.5 microbial log reduction (MLR) per stainless-steel coupon) to a 30-min treatment with the W/O emulsions formulated with short carbon chain acids (C1-3). By comparison, the emulsion formulations with longer carbon chain acids (C4-12) showed little to no MLR at 22°C, but achieved >6.5 MLR at 45°C. Based upon the decreased Salmonella membrane viscosity and the increased antimicrobial efficacy of C4-12 W/O emulsions with increasing temperature, we propose that heating can make the membrane more fluid which may allow the longer carbon chain acids (C4-12) to permeate or disrupt membrane structures.

Fabrication of fat-reduced water-in-oil emulsion and the application in 3D printing

Water-in-oil (W/O) emulsion is promising to design fat-reduced foods for 3D printing. In this study, oleogel-based W/O emulsion containing 65% water fraction was prepared by sunflower wax (SW, 1.0 wt%) and soybean phosphatidylethanolamine (SP, 0.5 wt%) with stability exceeding 30 days. Besides reducing interfacial tension, from X-ray diffraction and rheological results, SP was considered co-oleogelator to change the crystal habit of SW to enhance the external SW-based oleogel structure. The strong external oleogel structure was not only good for reducing droplets movements to improve physical stability, but facilitating the molding and supporting abilities of the emulsion gel in 3D printing. Based on rheological measurements, the emulsion gels were shown improved printing performance with SP increasing: extrusion (shear-thinning behavior), recovery (excellent thixotropy), and self-supporting (sufficient storage modulus and deformation resistance). In 3D printing, the emulsion gels with growing SP were displayed better shape retention and allowed printing the designs with more delicate and vivid features. This study provided new insight for W/O emulsion formation using natural ingredients for 3D printing to create fat-reduced foods.

Wellhead optimization of the demulsification of water-in-oil emulsion using response surface methodology

Stable emulsion formation is a common but undesirable phenomenon during enhanced oil recovery processes. Although much research has been conducted to examine the mechanisms of emulsification and demulsification, most of the studies were conducted offline on a laboratory scale and were aimed to optimize the separation-efficiency, which neither represents the actual well situation nor gives a direct measure of the oil recovery rate. Therefore, this study aims to conduct wellhead optimization of the demulsification process, targeting the enhancement in the oil production rate. The effect of the demulsifier dosage and the gas-lift rate on the production rate was investigated online, and the process was optimized using response surface methodology (RSM). The results revealed that both factors and their interaction significantly affected the production rate and presented P-values <0.05. A predictive model was developed for the production rate with R 2 value of 95.46% indicating the high accuracy of the model. The optimum conditions of 250 MSCF/day gas-lift rate and 25 Qt/day demulsifier dosage corresponding to 40 BOPD production rate were achieved. These conditions were verified online, with 0.25% error compared to the predicted value, confirming the excellent accuracy and reliability of the wellhead optimization results.