Plant-based Surfactant Research Articles

Manufacturing natural soap-base (Multiclean) with the addition of wuluh starfruit extraction (Averrhoa)

Starfruit extract is used as a base for making natural soap that is more environmentally friendly and beneficial for health. The aim of this study is to identify the optimal conditions for adding starfruit extract to natural soap production, which involves citric acid and surfactant components. The method involves maceration and extraction of starfruit to obtain citric acid by immersing it in 80% ethanol. The soap is produced using a hot process at temperatures between 70-80°C with three formulas: F1 (200:200:10), F2 (225:175:15), and F3 (250:150:20), representing different ratios of virgin coconut oil (VCO), olive oil, and starfruit extract, respectively. Potassium hydroxide (KOH) is used as an alkali at a concentration of 30%. After the soap is made, MES (a plant-based surfactant), sodium citrate (Na3C6H5O7) as a preservative, and sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) as a cleanser are added. Testing of the three soap formulas showed they all meet Indonesian National Standards (SNI). Among 20 respondents, F1 was rated the highest in terms of color, scent, and softness. It had 83% foam stability, 0.85% moisture content, a pH of 8, and 0.001% free alkali content. These results suggest that consumer preference is influenced by the starfruit extract content.

Characterization of hemp seed oil emulsion stabilized by soap nuts (Sapindus mukorossi) extract

In the past years, plant-based surfactants such as plant proteins, hydrocolloids, and extracts have intrigued scientific studies of food formulations for usage in emulsion, nanoemulsion as well as microemulsion systems, mainly due to their functional benefits and low toxicity levels. In this work, a hemp seed oil-containing (HSO) emulsion system was stabilized using soap nuts (SN), also known as Sapindus mukorossi. In order to determine the formulation requirements and the optimal emulsion composition including oil and surfactant content, a Box-Behnken experimental design was applied. The compositions were evaluated in terms of their particle size distribution, stability, visual quality, turbidity, and zeta potential. Moreover, to describe the physicochemical characteristics of the emulsions, rheological tests, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analyses, and refractive index parameters were also studied. The average particle size of the emulsions (particle distribution by number) was recorded between 51 and 103 nm, and z-ave parameter reached values between 227 nm and 311 nm. The zeta potential increased when the proportion of HSO increased, and reached its highest value (−23.5 mV) when HSO was 5% v/v. Microscopic investigations confirmed the polydispersity of the prepared emulsions. Furthermore, due to further applications of the emulsions i.e. packing and delivery, wetting properties were evaluated. The wetting angle values reached maximum approx. 30° with an HSO content of 1%. However, the wetting angle values were lower with increasing HSO content. Presented results revealed that Sapindus mukorossi is indeed a good stabilizer for hemp seed oil and water emulsions.

Effectiveness of hydrogen peroxide wipes for surface disinfection in healthcare facilities.

The correct method of surface disinfection in hospitals is an essential tool in the fight against the spread of healthcare-associated infections caused by multi-resistant microorganisms. Currently, there are many disinfectants on the market that can be used against different microorganisms. However, the effectiveness of different active molecules is controversial in the literature. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of wipes based on hydrogen peroxide (1.0 %) and highly specific plant-based surfactants, contained in H2O2TM (Hi-speed H2O2TM) products, against some hospital-associated microorganisms. The effectiveness of the wipes was tested against nosocomial and control strains of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase, Aspergillus fumigatus and Candida parapsilosis. Specifically, in vitro activity was assessed using three different techniques: stainless steel surface testing, surface diffusion testing and well diffusion test. The three different methods tested confirm the wipes' good effectiveness against the most common multi-resistant bacteria and against fungi. These data show that the tested wipes could be a valid adjunct to the disinfection process and could assist in the prevention of healthcare-associated infections.

Glycyrrhizic acid aggregates seen from a synthetic surfactant perspective.

Bio- or plant-based surfactants are a sustainable and renewable alternative to replace synthetic chemicals for environmental, drugs and food applications. However, these "green" surfactants have unique molecular structures, and their self-assembly in water might lead to complex morphologies and unexpected properties. The micellization of saponin molecules, such as glycyrrhizic acid (GA), differs significantly from those of conventional synthetic surfactants, yet these differences are often overlooked. Saponins self-assemble in complex hierarchical helical morphologies similar to bile salts, rather than the expected globular, ellipsoidal and wormlike micelles. Here, we review two potential routes for molecular self-assembly of GA, namely kinetics of crystallization and thermodynamic equilibrium, focusing on their structure as a function of concentration. Some uncertainty remains to define which route is followed by GA self-assembly, as well as the first type of aggregate formed at low concentrations, thus we review the state-of-the-art information about GA assembly. We compare the self-assembly of GA with conventional linear surfactants, and identify their key similarities and differences, from molecular and chemical perspectives, based on the critical packing parameter (CPP) theory. We expect that this work will provide perspectives for the unclear process of GA assembly, and highlight its differences from conventional micellization.

Plant based surfactant combined sonication pretreatment on food waste for biomethane generation: Cost and energy procurement

Food waste (FW) can be used as an appropriate feedstock for bioenergy generation. However, the rate limiting hydrolysis step during Anaerobic Digestion (AD) limits the biodegradation of substrate. Hence, pretreatment of food waste is essential prior to AD to circumvent the rate limiting step. Ultrasonic pretreatment of FW has been restricted owing to its greater energy requirement, aggregation of FW particles and lignin binding to methanogenic enzymes during biomethanation process. These limitations could reduce the efficiency of the whole treatment. In this study an effort has been made to enhance the hydrolysis and to improve the methanogenesis by pretreating the FW with plant-based surfactant (saponin) coupled ultrasonic pretreatment. The ultrasonic alone (US alone) pretreatment experimental run was done by varying the ultrasonic power from 80 to 180 Watt and pretreatment time from 0 to 20 min. The ultrasonic combined saponin (US-saponin) pretreatment experimental run was done by varying the time from 0 to 10 min and saponin dosage from 0.0005 to 0.008 g/g TS. The outcome reveals that the specific energy input of 5052 kJ/kg TS, saponin concentration of 0.002 g/g SS, and 2 min pretreatment time was optimum to achieve the maximum solubilization of 37 % in US- saponin sample. The US alone demands a specific energy input of 25263 kJ/kg TS and a pretreatment time 10 min to achieve the maximum solubilization of 30.5 %. The US-saponin pretreatment shows 269 mL/gCOD of methane production, higher than the US alone (148 mL/gCOD) and control (53 mL/gCOD). Regarding energy and cost assessment, the US- saponin pretreatment shows 12.07 USD/ton of net profit, greater than the US alone pretreatment (−260.8 USD/ton).

Comparative life cycle assessment for the manufacture of bio-detergents

The increasing consumption of cleaning products deteriorates water resources due to harmful components such as phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) compounds, oils, bleach, and acids, typical compounds in traditional detergents. The use of biodegradable detergents as an environmentally friendly alternative has been proposed in different regions. In Colombia, resolution 1770/2018 sets a minimum biodegradability rate of 60% for the surfactants present in liquid detergents, which would reduce to a similar extent the impacts on water after their use. However, the environmental impacts of the supply chain of these detergents and their raw materials have not been evaluated so far. This study presents an environmental life cycle assessment of petroleum-based liquid detergents and a comparison to traditional solid detergents, based on the ISO 14040 standard and the ReCiPe-2016 impacts assessment method. A novel bio-detergent containing anionic plant-based surfactants was proposed in this analysis. The impacts of packaging and the distribution of the product to consumers were also considered. Raw materials contributed to 91% of the total of 314 g of CO2 eq generated per liter of liquid detergent, where the production of fatty alcohol sulfate and PET packaging shared 78.8% and 12.2% of the total impact, respectively. It was also determined that 5.4 L of water are consumed and 0.09 g of P eq and 0.1 g of N eq are emitted per liter of detergent. This liquid detergent presented better environmental performance than traditional detergents in all the impact categories, except for the fossil resource scarcity category. The evaluated detergent would significantly mitigate the generation of negative effects on ecosystems. Moreover, the substitution of PET for HDPE packaging could reduce the impacts on freshwater eutrophication by 10%, although the carbon footprint can slightly increase, which could be compensated due to its higher recyclability rate. In contrast, the proposed bio-detergent would not have significant benefits and would negatively affect water consumption and land use in its supply chain.

Removal of pesticide residues from apple and tomato cuticle.

Pesticide residues are always an unsolved problem in the world despite all kinds of prevention measures. The present research work is based on a scientific hypothesis, i.e., "The removal of average pesticide residue is inversely proportional to the thickness of cuticle." The effects of boron-containing products and plant-based surfactants were tested for the removal of five pesticides (lambda-cyhalothrin, chlorpyrifos, diflubenzuron, metaflumizone, acetamiprid) on tomatoes and apples. Boron-containing products were able to remove the pesticide residues on average between 58.0 and 72.6% in tomatoes and 33.2-58.8% in an apple. While plant-based surfactants removed residues on average between 58.5 and 66.6% in tomatoes and 41.0-53.2% in an apple. The highest removal rate was 72% with etidot at 1%. The solution of 1% C8-C10 provided 66.6% average removal for tomatoes. Less removal was achieved in apples. For an apple, Log Kow and molecular mass (independent variables) were significant with p < 0.01, and the coefficient of determination (R2) was > 0.87. However, the multiple linear regression analysis for ground colemanite was significant with R2 of 0.96. In tomatoes, neither Log Kow nor molecular mass as significant. The correlation was found between the physical and chemical properties of pesticides, but it is estimated that the thickness of the cuticle is effective in removing pesticides.

A comprehensive study on the application of a natural plant-based surfactant as a chemical enhanced oil recovery (CEOR) agent in the presence of different ions in carbonate reservoirs

Surfactant flooding is a promising CEOR approach in carbonate reservoirs and its efficiency has been verified. Commercial surfactants may impose various health and environmental issues. Therefore, utilizing a natural biodegradable surfactant at a low cost is a valuable option for the petroleum industry. In this research, a non-ionic surfactant derived from Acanthophyllum Plant Root Extract (APRE) was used as a bio-surfactant. The EOR potential of this surfactant was evaluated through various tests. Oil-water system interfacial tension (IFT) measurement, contact angle test for carbonate rock wettability alteration assessment, emulsion stability, compatibility, and surfactant flooding test were conducted. The effect of different ions of various salts on the IFT, carbonate rock wettability and the chemical interactions were also studied. The emulsion stability created by the surfactant was assessed through observational tests. The compatibility test (at 25 °C) showed that negligible sediment below the salinity of 50,000 ppm was formed. The IFT at CMC in formation water (optimum concentration of 12000 ppm) was reduced to 1.06 mN/m from an initial value of 2.16 mN/m. The optimum IFT value at different salinities was also determined. The wettability of the carbonate rock from a strongly oil-wet state (168°) was altered to water-wet (60.3°) in the presence of surfactant and FW with a concertation of 10,000 ppm. In the core flood test, the effect of different slug sizes and soaking time was also determined. It was observed that increasing slug size results in a lower mobility ratio and consequently higher oil recovery.

Influence of a plant-based surfactant on improving the stability of iron ore particles for dispersion and pipeline transportation

This investigation addresses the study of the effects of the saponin isolated from the fruits of Sapindus laurifolia (S. laurifolia) as a dispersing and stabilizing agent in the pipeline transportation of iron ore (IO) particles. Two types of IO samples named S1 and S2, which are primarily constituted of hematite (Fe2O3) are taken for the study. The rheological behavior of iron ore water slurry (IOWS) has been studied as a function of saponin dosages, IO concentration, pH, temperature, and the shear rate-shear stress relationship. The isoelectric point of IOWS is calculated by the variation of zeta potential with pH. A suitable mechanism model is given to describe the interaction between S. laurifolia and IO particles. The economic effect of the dispersant has been examined based on slurry head loss, solids conveying rate, hydraulic power need, and specific power consumption (SPC) for the proposed IOWS pipeline to be introduced into commercial operation.

Ecofriendly Approach for Steroids, Terpenes, and Alkaloids-based Biosurfactant

In the last decade, the investigation of biosurfactants (BS) has been extensively studied due to the application of BS to remove or minimize the use of toxic synthetic surfactants into the ecosystem. Contaminated soil, air, and water cause a serious hazard to human health and the environment. Usually, biosurfactants exhibited remarkable emulsification with minimum surface tension values less than 16.5 dynes/cm. The BS exhibited significant bioactivities against bacterial and fungal pathogens. The plant-based surfactants have a more than 80% free radical scavenging nature and show potential antioxidant activity. BS are amphiphilic motifs obtained from plants and microorganisms' extract. BS has distinct hydrophilic and hydrophobic properties, leading to micellization formation. BS has a special molecular structure with hydrophilic glycoside linkage and lipophilic (Hydrophobic) triterpene derivative. BS has a broad spectrum of numerous sectors, including food, agriculture, personal care, petroleum, cosmetic, pharmaceutical, textile. The features of BS are low toxicity, environmental capability, biodegradability, multi-functionality, and availability of resources. The biosurfactant is today's need of society because synthetic surfactants have high toxicity and high ecological impact due to carcinogenic and mutagenic effects on human health. The proteins and polysaccharides act as emulsifiers. The chemical composition of this kind of surfactant is protein, glycolipid, carbohydrates, steroids, terpenoids. We focused on the steroids, terpenes, and alkaloids based surfactants. Currently employed plant and microbes-based surfactants, study their production, chemical composition, and effect of synthetic biosurfactant on human health and ecosystem.

Removal of Zn(II) and Cr(VI) ions from aqueous medium by anionic plant-based surfactant impregnated activated carbon

Removal of Zn(II) and Cr(VI) ions from aqueous medium by anionic plant-based surfactant impregnated activated carbon

Plant-Derived Saponins: A Review of Their Surfactant Properties and Applications

In response to increasing natural surfactant demand and environmental concerns, natural plant-based surfactants have been replacing synthetic ones. Saponins belong to a class of plant metabolites with surfactant properties that are widely distributed in nature. They are eco-friendly because of their natural origin and biodegradable. To date, many plant-based saponins have been investigated for their surface activity. An overview of saponins with a particular focus on their surface-active properties is presented in this article. For this purpose, works published in the past few decades, which report better surfactant relevant properties of saponins than synthetic ones, were extensively studied. The investigations on the potential surfactant application of saponins are also documented. Moreover, some biological activities of saponins such as antimicrobial activity, antidiabetic activity, adjuvant potentials, anticancer activity, and others are reported. Plants rich in saponins are widely distributed in nature, offering great potential for the replacement of toxic synthetic surfactants in a variety of modern commercial products and these saponins exhibit excellent surface and biological activities. New opportunities and challenges associated with the development of saponin-based commercial formulations in the future are also discussed in detail.

Surface-active Properties of Extracted Saponin from the Leaves of Nephelium Lappaceum.

Synthetic surfactants are widely used in a wide array of cleaning products due to their ability in lowering the surface tension of water. These surfactants also come with bad effects on people's health and the environment. Plant-based surfactant, or saponin, is expected to produce the same desired effect of chemical surfactant, minus the negative effect. The purpose of the current research was to discover the surface-active properties of saponin extracted from Nephelium Lappaceum or rambutan leaves, relative to commercial surfactant, Tween 80, and SDS. Rambutan’s leaves were extracted by maceration technique and liquid-liquid extraction to remove proteins and lipids of the plant. The presence of saponin in crude rambutan leaves was verified by foam test, which showed positive results. The crude rambutan leaves extracts were further analyzed by FTIR, GC-MS, and LC-QTOF-MS. The surface-active test consisted of a wetting test and cleaning test. The results from the IR spectrum show the presence of functional groups of saponin; OH, C=O, C-H, C=C, then, C-O which indicates the glycosides linkages to sapogenins. The wetting time for leave extracts, SDS, and Tween 80 were 32.33s, 7.33s, and 17.62s respectively. The cleaning test of saponin fraction, SDS, and Tween 80 showed the percentage of 20.98, 80.40, and 37.3 respectively. Generally, Rambutan leaves extract showed promising, but lower surface activities compared to commercial surfactants. Considering that the saponin fraction was not yet in the purest or isolated form of a single compound, it can be said the potential can be further enhanced by further isolating a pure surface-active compound from the saponin fraction.

Developments in green surfactants for enhanced oil recovery

Scientists are developing improved surfactants for enhanced oil extraction that have superior capabilities while being environmentally friendly and capable of strong operational tolerances to pH, salinity, and temperature.In laboratory tests, numerous green surfactants synthesized from vegetable oils and other plant-based materials matched or exceeded the capabilities of conventional synthetic surfactants. Plant-based zwitterionic surfactants are reported to have strong interfacial reduction values and operational tolerances

In-situ remediation of petroleum-contaminated soil by application of plant-based surfactants toward preventing environmental degradation

Remediation in this study employs the use of green plants and their extracts in enhancing the remediation process of polluted soils. GC-MS & FTIR techniques were employed in determining the constituents of the soil during the investigation. 60 ml of the extracts were applied on 1 by 2 ft segments of hydrocarbon polluted site and observed for two months. The results show that plant extract A significantly reduced the TPHs and PAHs to 5,450 and 126.2 mg/kg, respectively, as compared to those of extract B whose TPH and PAH values are 10,432 and 362.3 mg/kg, respectively. Both plant extracts reduced the total petroleum hydrocarbon compounds significantly when compared to the standard reference PAH and PAHs (4,500 mg/kg and 50 mg/kg respectively). The microbial plate count for the three media shows that the plant based surfactant had a synergy with the identified bacteria in enhancing Phytoremediation of the crude oil polluted site. Novelty statement: This study examined the application of two plant-based surfactants for remediation. These natural surfactants significantly reduced the petroleum hydrocarbon compounds present in the soil within the in-situ observation window. These Herbaceous plant family extracts have a great advantage as an eco-friendly alternative to synthetic surfactants, and they also exhibited an anti-fungi characteristic. The two biodegradable plant-based surfactants also significantly reduced the time that it could have taken for a remediation process.

Sironix raises funds for biosurfactants

Sironix Renewables has raised $645,000 in seed funding and $1.15 million from the US Department of Energy to advance its Eosix technology for producing plant-based surfactants. Sironix uses a chemi...

Wetting of glass surface using natural surfactants

Background: Surfactant adsorption at the interfaces (solid–liquid, liquid–air, or liquid–liquid) is receiving considerable attention from a long time due to its wide range of practical applications. Objective: Specifically wettability of solid surface by liquids is mainly measured by contact angle and has many practical importances where solid–liquid systems are used. Adsorption of surfactants plays an important role in the wetting process. The wetting behaviours of three plant-based natural surfactants (Reetha, Shikakai, and Acacia) on the glass surface are compared with one widely used nonionic synthetic surfactant (Triton X-100) and reported in this study. Methods: The dynamic contact angle study of three different types of plant surfactants (Reetha, Shikakai and Acacia) and one synthetic surfactant (Triton X 100) on the glass surface has been carried out. The effect of two different types of alcohols such as Methanol and amyl alcohol on wettability of shikakai, as it shows little higher value of contact angle on glass surface has been measured. Results: The contact angle measurements show that there is an increase in contact angle from 47° (pure water) to 67.72°, 65.57°, 68.84°, and 68.79° for Reetha, Acacia, Shikakai, and Triton X-100 respectively with the increase in surfactant concentration and remain constant at CMC. The change in contact angle of Shikakai-Amyl alcohol mixtures are slightly different than that of methanol-Shikakai mixture, mostly there is a gradual increase in contact angle with the increasing in alcohol concentration. Conclusion: There is no linear relationship between cos θ and inverse of surface tension. There was a linear increase in surface free energy results with increase in concentration as more surfactant molecules were adsorbing at the interface enhancing an increase in contact angle.

Investigations into the structure-function relationship of plant-based surfactant glycyrrhizin: Interfacial behavior & emulsion formation

This study describes the interfacial and emulsifying properties of a plant-based saponin glycyrrhizin and its aglycone 18β-glycyrrhetinic acid derived from licorice root (Glycyrrhiza glabra L.) to enable first insights into a potential structure-function relationship. First, the surface activity of glycyrrhizin and its aglycone at air-water and oil-water interfaces, and the viscoelastic behavior at an oil-water interface was examined. Second, the emulsifying properties by preparing oil-in-water emulsions (100 g oil/kg emulsion, pH 7) by high-pressure homogenization was evaluated. Both glycyrrhizin and its aglycone reduced surface and interfacial activity only <19%, and did not form any viscoelastic interfaces. Nevertheless, glycyrrhizin and its aglycone formed stable oil-in-water emulsions around 0.2 μm at a very low molecule-to-oil ratio. Therefore, the low interfacial activity or interfacial viscoelasticity does not necessarily correlate with the emulsifying capability. Furthermore, molecular modelling of the compounds revealed different hydrophilic-lipophilic balance -values ranging from 1 to 10, and that hydrophobic surfaces dominated over the polar surfaces, indicating that hydrophobic interactions contribute to the stabilizing forces at the interface. The results are relevant for novel ‘all-natural’ emulsion-based foods, beverages, as well as pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics to enable a potential structure-function relationship for the promising surfactant group of saponins.

The alternative solutions of bagasse waste utilization to improve recovery factors in reservoir with high salinity

Surfactant injection is one of the EOR methods used to increase oil recovery. Using of surfactants is intended to reduce the interface tension between oil and water. The types of surfactants commonly used are oil-based surfactants, such as petroleum sulfonate. This condition causes the price of surfactants very dependent on oil prices. As efficient alternative, research on plant-based surfactants sourced from nature is being developed. Like the type of surfactant that will be used in this study is Sodium Lignosulfonate (NaLS) sourced from bagasse waste. The purpose of this study is to add reference of the characteristics of the NaLS surfactant to be used optimally. The screenings in this experiment were Aqueous Stability test, phase behaviour test, and IFT test on 1.5% NaLS concentration and high salinity 75,000 ppm Nacl. The results of aqueous stability test are transparent, the results of phase behaviour test are middle phase emulsion with an emulsion percent of 8.75%, and the results of IFT test obtained value of 1.98 mN/m. Based on these results, surfactants meet the screening parameters so can proceed to the injection stage for determine the value of recovery factor. Recovery factor result for NaLS bagasse waste based surfactant injection is 4.74%.

The U se of P lant B ased S urfactant in R emoval of O il from O ily S ludge via T hermochemical C leaning M ethod

The conventional physical treatment technologies is difficult to dewater most of water content in oily sludge during sludge dewatering process. Oily sludge removal by using surfactant via thermochemical cleaning method is recognized as one of potential method used to enhance the performance of sludge dewatering process. This study was designed to investigate the performance of anionic and cationic plant-based surfactant in removal of oil and enhance the dewatering of oily sludge. The characterization study of raw oily sludge, PBE and SLSA and those treated with PBE and SLSA surfactants were performed via TGA and FTIR. The effect of surfactant concentration was investigated based on percentage of oil removal. FTIR spectra confirms the loss of transmission peak at 1636.11 cm-1 for treated oily sludge due to the loss of oil via solubilization of oil from oily sludge into surfactant solution. Results shows that the best condition for the percentage of oil removal when using PBE and SLSA surfactants was 84.3% and 67.6%, respectively at PBE and SLSA concentration of 50 mg/L and 100 mg/L. It was observed that SLSA and PBE surfactants has potential to remove oil from oily sludge and subsequently contributed to enhance the oily sludge dewatering process.