Samant Bhupesh S, Kaliappan Raja
Nadir Godrej Science Technology and Application Research (NG-STAR) Center, Godrej Chemicals Thane-421506 Maharashtra India
RSC Adv. 2025 Jul 8;15(29):23569-23587. doi: 10.1039/d5ra02072g. eCollection 2025 Jul 4.
Surfactants are amphiphilic compounds, crucial in extracting active ingredients from natural resources by enhancing solubility, reducing surface tension, and facilitating phase separation. This review highlights novel extraction techniques, such as micellar extraction, pressurized system extraction, ultrasound-assisted extraction, and microwave-assisted extraction, that leverage surfactants to improve efficiency. It also explores the mechanisms through which surfactants aid in the extraction process, focusing on their application in isolating bioactive compounds from plants, algae, microorganisms, and other natural matrices. We examine the various types of surfactants-anionic, cationic, nonionic, and zwitterionic-used in extraction processes, along with their advantages and limitations. The review also discusses environmentally friendly and sustainable surfactants and assesses the environmental performance of biosurfactants in surfactant-assisted extraction. Finally, we explore potential challenges, including regulatory hurdles, environmental impacts, mass scale-up issues, and the need for further research in the field.
表面活性剂是两亲性化合物，通过提高溶解度、降低表面张力和促进相分离，在从自然资源中提取活性成分方面起着关键作用。本综述重点介绍了新型提取技术，如胶束萃取、加压系统萃取、超声辅助萃取和微波辅助萃取，这些技术利用表面活性剂来提高效率。它还探讨了表面活性剂在萃取过程中发挥作用的机制，重点关注其在从植物、藻类、微生物和其他天然基质中分离生物活性化合物方面的应用。我们研究了萃取过程中使用的各种类型的表面活性剂——阴离子型、阳离子型、非离子型和两性离子型——及其优缺点。该综述还讨论了环境友好型和可持续的表面活性剂，并评估了生物表面活性剂在表面活性剂辅助萃取中的环境性能。最后，我们探讨了潜在的挑战，包括监管障碍、环境影响、大规模放大问题以及该领域进一步研究的必要性。
