Laundry Detergent Formulations Research Articles

Strawberry Protease as a Laundry Detergent Additive Candidate: Immobilization, Compatibility Study with Detergent Ingredients, and Washing Performance Test.

The potential of strawberry-derived protease as a component of laundry detergent is investigated. The compatibility of the enzyme with various surfactants, oxidizing agents, and commercial detergents is tested. The immobilized enzyme prepared by immobilizing Co2+ ions together with the enzyme is also tested. Strawberry crude protease shows high stability in the presence of surfactants frequently used in detergents. The enzyme is found to be relatively stable to oxidizing agents. In addition, it is determined that strawberry protease works in excellent compatibility with different commercial solid and liquid detergents in the Turkish market and also maintains its stability very well. Washing tests based on visual examination also reveal that the enzyme improves the washing performance of the tested detergent. All these properties and high activity at alkaline pH make this enzyme a very strong candidate for use in laundry detergent formulations.

A Novel Surfactant Molecular Design with Optimal Performance, Safety and Health Aspects for Laundry Detergent

Surfactants are one of the main ingredients in laundry detergent formulation used to improve the wetting ability of water, loosens and removes oil with the aid of wash action. Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and diethanolamine (DEA) are two examples of chemicals used as surfactants in laundry detergents. Exposure to SLS and DEA has the potential to cause skin and eye irritation. In this study, surfactant candidates were designed by using Computer-aided Molecular Design (CAMD) tools with the integration of safety and health properties. The CAMD start with problem formulation, followed by model development, molecular design, optimization model and performance analysis. The important surfactant properties such as critical micelle concentration (CMC), hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) and molecular weight (MW) were considered. The safety and health properties of surfactant candidates are assessed using index-based methodology. The surfactant candidates with optimum property functionality, safety and health performance are presented. The potential surfactant candidate, 1-aminomethyl-2,3,4,5,6-pentamethylnonane-1,8-diol is suggested to be implemented into in the laundry detergent formulation as it offers lower CMC (0.00228 mol/L) and minimum safety and health risks (total index score of 6) to consumers.

Detergent Properties of Coconut Oil Derived N-Acyl Prolinate Surfactant and the In silico Studies on its Effectiveness Against SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19)

Abstract In this work, we report the application of coconut oil derived N-acyl prolinate surfactant as a potential ingredient in laundry detergent formulation using biological, physicochemical and molecular docking approach. The properties of the sodium cocyl prolinate surfactant 2 were compared with those of sodium cocoate surfactant 1, a sodium salt of fatty acids from coconut oil, as well as the conventional surfactant sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) which is commonly used in the detergent industry. Sodium cocyl prolinate surfactant 2 showed a lower foaming ability compared to SDS and was found to exert a better detergency at a much lower temperature (25°C) compared to surfactant 1 and SDS. The coconut oil based surfactants 1 and 2 displayed a better antibacterial activity against gram positive strains compared to SDS. In view of studying the effectiveness of the surfactants against the severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus 2, SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) which might remain on the surface of contaminated clothes, molecular docking of surfactants 1 and 2 with the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 was carried out. Surfactant 2 showed an optimum interaction with the amino acid residues of the spike protein which is responsible for the binding of the virus with the host receptors. Molecular docking with savinase, an enzyme used in laundry formulation showed that sodium cocyl prolinate surfactant 2 and SDS displayed comparable interactions with the enzyme. Overall, this study has shown that sodium cocyl prolinate surfactant 2 can be a potential candidate in laundry detergent formulation for machine washing due to its relatively low foaming ability and good detergency properties at a much lower temperature (25°C), making it more energy-efficient. Surfactant 2 was also found to be a promising antimicrobial agent in laundry detergent due to its moderate antibacterial activity and its interaction with the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2, which can help to reduce the spread of any epidemic or pandemic diseases.

Polymers for dye transfer inhibition in laundry applications

AbstractThe deposition of dyes onto lightly colored garments, or onto lighter sections of multicolored garments, during laundry results in fabric discoloration. In particular, there is a requirement to restrict indigo dye transfer between garments. Polymers may be added to detergent formulations as dye transfer inhibitors to prevent dye transfer by blocking the deposition of fugitive dyes in aqueous solution. This article reports the generation of a range of dye transfer inhibitors produced by condensation reactions that are effective in preventing the transfer of unbound indigo dye to a variety of fiber types. Key design rules relating to polymer hydrophilicity and pendant polymer functionality were established for the creation of effective dye transfer inhibitors. Remarkably, polymers at concentrations as low as 0.1 mg/ml were found to be effective in inhibiting indigo deposition on a variety of fiber types, offering great promise for their inclusion within laundry detergent formulations as dye transfer inhibitors.

Identification of a New Serine Alkaline Peptidase from the Moderately Halophilic Virgibacillus natechei sp. nov., Strain FarDT and its Application as Bioadditive for Peptide Synthesis and Laundry Detergent Formulations.

A new peptidase designated as SAPV produced from a moderately halophilic Virgibacillus natechei sp. nov., strain FarDT was investigated by purification to homogeneity followed by biochemical and molecular characterization purposes. Through optimization, it was determined that the optimum peptidase activity was 16,000 U/mL. It was achieved after 36 h incubation at 35°C in the optimized enzyme liquid medium (ELM) at pH 7.4 that contains only white shrimp shell by-product (60 g/L) as sole energy and carbon sources. The SAPV enzyme is a monomer protein with a molecular mass of 31 kDa as estimated by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) gel filtration chromatography. The sequence of its NH2-terminal amino-acid residues showed homology with those of Bacillus peptidases S8/S53 superfamily. The SAPV showed optimal activity at pH 9 and 60°C. Irreversible inhibition of enzyme activity by diiodopropyl fluorophosphates (DFP) and phenylmethanesulfonyl fluoride (PMSF) confirmed its belonging to the serine peptidases. Considering its interesting biochemical characterization, the sapV gene was cloned, sequenced, and heterologously overexpressed in the extracellular fraction of E. coli BL21(DE3)pLysS. The biochemical properties of the recombinant peptidase (rSAPV) were similar to those of the native one. The highest sequence identity value (97.66%) of SAPV was obtained with peptidase S8 from Virgibacillus massiliensis DSM 28587, with 9 amino-acid residues of difference. Interestingly, rSAPV showed an outstanding and high resistance to several organic solvents than SPVP from Aeribacillus pallidus VP3 and Thermolysin type X. Furthermore, rSAPV exhibited an excellent detergent stability and compatibility than Alcalase 2.4 L FG and Bioprotease N100L. Considering all these remarkable properties, rSAPV has attracted the interest of industrialists.

Combined Use of Streaming Potential and UV/Vis To Assess Surface Modification of Fabrics via Soil Release Polymers

Polymers have become a widespread part of laundry detergent formulations because of their benefits which are usually delivered via surface modification of fibers. Therefore, there is a growing interest in understanding their deposition on fabrics. In this work, we have used streaming potential to assess changes in surface charge of polyester and knitted cotton after modification via soil release polymers (SRPs). Results identify a relationship between the measured zeta potential for the modified fabrics and the charge of the polymer. The effects of parameters, such as agitation speed and bulk concentration during deposition, have been investigated. Streaming potential data were then correlated to adsorption isotherms from UV absorbance data, and a Langmuir–Freundlich model was proposed to describe the isotherms for polyester. The stain removal index for some common hydrophobic stains was determined via image analysis. A link between SRP deposition efficiency and their effectiveness on greasy soil removal was observed.

Profiling Protease Activity in Laundry Detergents with Peptide Arrays and SAMDI Mass Spectrometry

Laundry detergent formulations include proteases to digest and clean protein-based stains. Methods that can profile protease activity and specificity in detergents could be important in guiding the...

Valorization of fruit by-products of Bromelia antiacantha Bertol.: Protease obtaining and its potential as additive for laundry detergents

Abstract The aim of this work is to isolate and study the performance of an alkaline protease from fruit by-products of Bromelia antiachanta Bertol. for its potential application as an additive of laundry detergent formulations. Its behavior is compared with Pura Felt 4000 (Genencor Argentina). Antiacanthain, a cysteine protease from fruit by-products of B. antiachanta, showed a remarkable stability (50 ± 0.82% to 177 ± 0.82% residual activity) in buffer with non-ionic and cationic surfactants (0.1, 0.4 and 1.0%), metal chelation (1, 5 and 10 mM EDTA), antiredepositant (100 mM Na2CO3) and bleaching (5% H2O2) agents. In commercial detergents, antiacanthain retained 100 ± 1.25% to 120 ± 0.82% of its maximum activity at 60 °C and removed stains from cloths in a short time period. Antiacanthain fulfilled all the requirements as detergent additive: high activity and stability in a broad temperature range (25–60 °C) and alkaline pH (5–9), and very good compatibility with commercial detergents.

The consistent differential expression of genetic pathways following exposure of an industrial Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain to preservatives and a laundry detergent formulation.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a common contaminant associated with product recalls in the home and personal care industry. Preservation systems are used to prevent spoilage and protect consumers, but greater knowledge is needed of preservative resistance mechanisms used by P. aeruginosa contaminants. We aimed to identify genetic pathways associated with preservative exposure by using an industrial P. aeruginosa strain and implementing RNA-Seq to understand gene expression changes in response to industry relevant conditions. The consistent differential expression of five genetic pathways during exposure to multiple industrial growth conditions associated with benzisothiazolone (BIT) and phenoxyethanol (POE) preservatives, and a laundry detergent (LD) formulation, was observed. A MexPQ-OpmE Resistance Nodulation Division efflux pump system was commonly upregulated in response to POE, a combination of BIT and POE, and LD together with BIT. In response to all industry conditions, a putative sialic acid transporter and isoprenoid biosynthesis gnyRDBHAL operon demonstrated consistent upregulation. Two operons phnBA and pqsEDCBA involved in Pseudomonas quinolone signaling production and quorum-sensing were also consistently downregulated during exposure to all the industry conditions. The ability to identify consistently differentially expressed genetic pathways in P. aeruginosa can inform the development of future targeted preservation systems that maintain product safety and minimise resistance development.

Potential application of Bacillus subtilis SPB1 biosurfactants in laundry detergent formulations: Compatibility study with detergent ingredients and washing performance.

Surfactants play a very important role in laundry and household cleaning products ingredients. In this research, the application of lipopeptide biosurfactants, produced by Bacillus subtilis SPB1, in the formulation of a washing powder was investigated. The SPB1 biosurfactant was mixed with sodium tripolyphosphate as a builder and sodium sulfate as filler. The efficiency of the formulated detergent composition with different washing conditions to remove a stain from cotton fabric was examined. The results showed that the formulated detergent was effective in oil removal, with optimal washing conditions of pH, temperature, striate and time of washing system of 7, 65°C, 1000 RPM and 60 min, respectively. A comparative study of different detergent compositions (biosurfactant-based detergent, combined biosurfactant-commercial detergent, and a commercial detergent) for the removal of oil and tea stains, proved that the bio-scouring was more effective (>75%) in terms of the stain removal than the commercial powders (<60%). Moreover, the results demonstrated that the biosurfactant acts additively with a commercial detergent and enhances their performance from 33 to 45% in removing oil stain and from 57 to 64% in removing tea stain. As a conclusion, in addition to the low toxicity and the high biodegradability of the microbial biosurfactants, the results of this study have shown that the future use of this lipopeptide biosurfactant as laundry detergent additive is highly promising.

Application of Glycerin in Liquid Laundry Detergents as an Example of Innovation in the Household Chemicals Industry

Abstract The aim of the study presented in the paper was to demonstrate that using a combination of glycerin and surfactants in the form of sodium salts in the production of laundry liquid detergents might be an alternative to the currently commonly produced products based on surfactants in the form of potassium or triethanol ammonium salts. Tests were performed to determine functional standard properties of model liquid laundry detergent formulations with different contents of glycerin. The analysis focused on foaming power, rheological properties, solubility, washing ability and decrease in fabric strength after washing. The most beneficial functional properties, comparable to those found in formulations containing potassium or triethanol ammonium salts, were achieved at the glycerin content of 20%.

How to choose drop-in replacements for active ingredients in existing liquid laundry detergent formulations

How to choose drop-in replacements for active ingredients in existing liquid laundry detergent formulations

Assessment of Near-Infrared (NIR) spectroscopy for segregation measurement of low content level ingredients

Segregation in particulate systems may be caused by particle size, density and shape distributions leading to negative effects on product quality as well as the production costs. Quantifying powder segregation using a reliable and robust method is challenging, particularly for low content level ingredients. In this paper, we evaluate the application of NIR spectral analysis for detecting the extent of segregation of components in a multi-component mixture. As a model system, a typical laundry detergent formulation, comprising spray-dried powder, known as Blown Powder (BP), Tetraacetylethylenediamine (TAED) and enzyme placebo granules, is used. The effect of using different pre-processing methods on the measured component fractions is analysed. These are scatter correction using Standard Normal Variate (SNV) as well as derivative correction using first, second, Norris-Williams and Savitzky-Golay derivatives. The results from the NIR technique are compared to those obtained by image analysis. Concepts of Mean Absolute Error (MAE) and Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) are used to evaluate the accuracy of different pre-processing methods. The second derivative of Norris-Williams method shows the best pre-processing method for the quantification of low content level enzyme placebo granules in the ternary mixture of detergent powder. Using the proposed NIR technique and the optimum pre-processing method, the segregation index of a low content level ingredient, such as enzyme placebo granules, is estimated to be 0.71 for a ternary heap of washing powders.

Potential of a Novel Thermotolerant Lipase &lt;i&gt;Bacillus stearothermophilus&lt;/i&gt; nr22 (Lip.&lt;i&gt;nr&lt;/i&gt;-22) as Additive in High Temperature Operated-Neutral pH Liquid Detergent

Enzyme-added detergent must have the capability to operate at high temperature to support the enzyme proteins to clean soiled-fabrics at optimum conditions. Lipase from Bacillus stearothermophilus nr22 (Lip.nr-22) has improved the oil removal from soiled-cotton fabric by 38.8-51.4% in 4 types of local commercial detergents. The later was the oil removal from an unrevealed detergent. The optimum conditions were 108U/ml Lip.nr-22 in 0.1M, pH 7.0, washing temperature and washing time interval as 80°C and 40 min, respectively; shaking wash at 300 rpm and percentage of detergent concentration as 0.5. Lip.nr-22 is a very potential enzyme in high temperature-neutral pH operated laundry detergent formulations. It has exhibited a very excellent thermostability at 80°C, was very stable with surfactants, commercial detergents as well as with oxidizing agents (H2O2, NaBO3H2O and NaClO). Lip.nr-22 as additive in detergent formulation is a promise for better detergent formulation.

PH-induced conformational change of natural cyclic lipopeptide surfactin and the effect on protease activity

The cyclic lipopeptide surfactin (SF) is one of the promising environmental friendly biosurfactants abundantly produced by microorganisms such as Bacillus subtilis. SF shows excellent surface properties at various pH, together with lower toxicity and higher biodegradability than commonly used petroleum-based surfactants. However, the effect of the dissociation degree of SF on self-assembly is still incompletely understood, even though two acidic amino acid residues (Asp and Glu) are known to influence eventual surface and biological functions. Here, we report changes in the secondary structure of SF induced by increased pH, and the effect on protease activity. We found that the β-sheet and β-turn formation of SF are significantly enhanced through increased dissociation of Asp and Glu as revealed by a titration experiment of SF solution to estimate apparent pK1 and pK2 values together with circular dichroism spectroscopy. We also studied the activity of the common detergent enzyme subtilisin in SF solution at above its pK2 (pH 7.6) to understand the role of the dissociation degree in the interaction with the protein. The mixing of SF having a unique cyclic topological feature with subtilisin suppressed the decrease in protease activity observed in the presence of synthetic surfactants such as sodium dodecyl sulfate and polyoxyethylene alkyl ether. Thus, SF has great potential for use in laundry detergent formulations, to improve the stability and reliability of detergent enzymes.

Application of Silicone Surfactant Along with Hydrocarbon Surfactants to Textile Washing for the Removal of Different Complex Stains

AbstractThe present work reports the application of trisiloxane polyether silicone surfactant to remove various stains along with a range of hydrocarbon (organic) surfactants to investigate whether silicone surfactants offer synergism or antagonism during the cotton fabric cleaning process. Cotton fabric was soiled with red wine, turmeric, permanent marker, acrylic paint, and coffee and washed with the original fabric in aqueous solutions of individual surfactant and blend of surfactants by applying the conventional shaking washing method. The detergency and soil redeposition were determined from the alteration in the surface reflectance of prepared stained fabrics and the original fabric after washing. Surfactants used for the washing were trisiloxane polyether silicone surfactant (AG‐Platinum), sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate, lauryl alcohol ethoxylate (LA‐10), and nonylphenol ethoxylate (NP‐10) and their blends. In comparison with individual hydrocarbon surfactants, blends of surfactants (with different hydrocarbon to silicone surfactant ratios) dislodged stains (accumulated on the fabric as a result of staining) effectively at shorter time and at lower bath ratio because of superior surface properties. With increasing concentration of surfactant, detergency increased and reached a maximum at the critical micelle concentration (CMC). Silicone surfactant reduced the CMCs of the surfactant blends and provided better detergency at lower concentration. From this study, it was found that silicone surfactant could be successfully introduced into laundry detergent formulations.

A New Subtilase-Like Protease Deriving from Fusarium equiseti with High Potential for Industrial Applications.

A gene encoding a novel extracellular subtilisin-like protease was cloned from the ascomycete Fusarium equiseti and expressed in Trichoderma reesei. The F. equiseti protease (Fe protease) showed excellent performance in stain removal and good compatibility with several commercial laundry detergent formulations, suggesting that it has high potential for use in various industrial applications. The recombinant enzyme was purified and characterized. The temperature optimum of the Fe protease was 60 °C and it showed high activity in the pH range of 6-10, with a sharp decline in activity at pH above 10. The amino acid specificity of the Fe protease was studied using casein, cytochrome c, and ubiquitin as substrates. The Fe protease had broad substrate specificity: almost all amino acid residues were accepted at position P1, even though it showed some preference for cleavage at the C-terminal side of asparagine and histidine residues. The S4 subsite of Fe protease favors aspartic acid and threonine. The other well-characterized proteases from filamentous fungi, Proteinase K from Engyodontium album, Thermomycolin from Malbranchea sulfurea, and alkaline subtilisins from Bacillus species prefer hydrophobic amino acids in both the S1 and S4 subsites. Due to its different specificity compared to the members of the S8 family of clan SB of proteases, we consider that the Fe protease is a new protease. It does not belong to any previously defined IUBMB groups of proteases.

Impact strength distribution of placebo enzyme granules

Enzyme granules are used in laundry detergent formulations to improve washing quality at lower temperatures than commonly used with traditional formulations. However, any dust generated from their handling in manufacturing plants poses a health risk to operators. Therefore, current enzyme granule manufacturing produces strong granules that resist plant stresses and hence do not easily break. There are however indications that a very small number of granules are substantially weaker than the rest. This would have implications on the Coefficient of Variations (CV) of enzyme dust analysis. It is highly desirable to have a low value of Coefficient of Variation (CV) of enzyme dust to ensure confidence in the test results. The CV is largely influenced by the testing rig performance, but its minimum value is limited by the material characteristics. This work sets out to evaluate the minimum CV that is possible to get for the sample mass tested, by quantifying the number of outliers by impact testing using placebo granules. The outcome is a methodology for specifying the minimum possible CV that can be obtained from a given test material.

Exploring Malaysian Household Consumers Acceptance towards Eco-friendly Laundry Detergent Powders

Due to the current environmental pressures and ever-rising prices of petrochemical feedstock, the detergentindustry is gradually moving towards the development of green and eco-friendly products. However, besides theproduction cost, the challenge for today’s detergent formulators still lies in increasing the quantity of green andeco-friendly surfactants in laundry detergent formulations without compromising their performance. Realizingthis, research was undertaken to develop the Asian market preferred low-density laundry detergent powders byincorporating green palm oil based surfactant (known as MES) and also by eliminating the use ofenvironmentally damaging phosphate-builders in the detergent formulation. Prior to commercialization of thisnewly developed eco-friendly low-density laundry detergent powder, a pilot survey was attempted over 112respondents using mall-intercept approach in one of the popular shopping complex in Kuala Lumpur city withthe aim to study consumers' preferences (format, brand, origin) and their purchasing behaviour(awareness/knowledge and perception) towards both commercial and MES based laundry detergent powders.The pilot survey results have indicated that the majority of respondents has high affinity towards green andenvironmental benefits offered by MES based laundry detergent powders. These positive results imply hugemarket potential for MES based laundry detergent powders and through effective marketing strategies andproduct awareness activities, this product is likely to attain success in the marketplace.

Stability of a Lipase Extracted from Seeds of Pachira aquatica in Commercial Detergents and Application Tests in Poultry Wastewater Pretreatment and Fat Particle Hydrolysis

A protein extract containing a plant lipase from oleaginous seeds of Pachira aquatica was tested using soybean oil, wastewater from a poultry processing plant, and beef fat particles as substrate. The hydrolysis experiments were carried out at a temperature of 40°C, an incubation time of 90 minutes, and pH 8.0-9.0. The enzyme had the best stability at pH 9.0 and showed good stability in the alkaline range. It was found that P. aquatica lipase was stable in the presence of some commercial laundry detergent formulations, and it retained full activity up to 0.35% in hydrogen peroxide, despite losing activity at higher concentrations. Concerning wastewater, the lipase increased free fatty acids release by 7.4 times and promoted the hydrolysis of approximately 10% of the fats, suggesting that it could be included in a pretreatment stage, especially for vegetable oil degradation.