Application of rhamnolipid biosurfactant for bio-detergent formulation

Abstract

Biosurfactants, also known as biological surface-active agents, are a group of surface-active agents, which are produced by a variety of microorganisms. Biosurfactants possess the characteristic property of lowering surface tension, increase the solubility of poorly soluble compound, low toxicity, non-allergenic, and biodegradable. Growing public awareness about the environmentally friendly health care and associated product has stimulated the search for eco-friendly compounds in laundry detergents. In this research, the application of biosurfactants in the formulation of a washing detergent was investigated. Variation of biosurfactants and its mixture with sodium tripolyphosphate as a builder and sodium sulfate as filler was applied to wash cotton fabric which was contaminated with known amounts of stain (chocolate milk). The effects of various bio-detergent formulations, including the ratio of biosurfactants and builder, was examined. The formulation presented in this study was also compared with some standard detergent for the stains removal efficiency. The results showed that the rhamnolipid biosurfactants have a promising as a substitute for its synthetic counterpart. Based on the colorfastness to wash, color strength (K/S), and color difference (∆E) value, rhamnolipid based bio-detergent have similar washing effectiveness compared to the synthetic detergent. Research result also found that Na-bicarbonate and Na-citrate have the potential as a substitute for phosphate-based detergent builder.

Production, Characterization and Commercial Formulation of a Biosurfactant from Candida tropicalis UCP0996 and Its Application in Decontamination of Petroleum Pollutants

“…In another study, a rhamnolipid was applied in the formulation of a bio-detergent. The biosurfactant was effective in removing oil from stains and the formulation was comparable to commercial powders in terms of efficiency [38]. Haque et al [39] evaluated the usefulness of rhamnolipids as non-cytotoxic agents, natural antimicrobials, and antioxidants for various applications as a co-preservative in various product formulations to reduce the use of synthetic preservatives in various industrial and biomedical segments.…”

Valorization of Oil Waste for Biodetergent Production Using Serratia Marcescens N2 and Gamma Irradiation Assisted Biorecovery

“…The detergency process occurs through the formation of micelles by surfactants that are able to form globules of impurities through a decrease in interface tension and with the help of electrostatic interactions between charges However; surface-active compounds cannot completely clean dirt from the surface without the presence of other additional compounds as support, namely builders, antiredeposition, enzymes, and other additives (Helmy, Gustiani, & Mustikawati, 2020).stated that washing results that contain only 20% active ingredient in the form of biosurfactant are visually not good enough to clean stains (mild stain can be seen visually on the fabric). It is noteworthy to say that using the biosurfactant did not affect the fabric cloth threading as indicated by the captured images of clean, soiled and washed fabric cloths.…”

COVID-19: Eco-friendly hand hygiene for human and environmental safety

“…For example, sophorolipids are the active ingredients of various cosmetics and personal care products available commercially, which shows they are biocompatible and non-toxic. Rhamnolipids and surfactin also find application in bio-detergent and lip gloss formulations as biocompatible and nonirritant biosurfactants [ [34] , [35] , [36] ].…”