High Internal Phase <i>Oil-in-Water</i> Emulsions Stabilised by Cost-Effective Rhamnolipid/Alginate Biocomplexes
A novel, cost-effective, partially purified biosurfactant in the form of a rhamnolipid biocomplex (RLBC) was investigated for its emulsifying properties. The RLBC was obtained through the cultivation of <i>Pseudomonas</i> sp. SP-17 on glycerol, followed by acidic precipitation, without t...
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MDPI AG
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Molecules |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/30/3/595 |
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| author | Ilona E. Kłosowska-Chomiczewska Gabriela Burakowska Paulina Żmuda-Trzebiatowska Aleksandra Soukup Iwona Rok-Czapiewska Elżbieta Hallmann Tetiana Pokynbroda Olena Karpenko Krystyna Mędrzycka Adam Macierzanka |
| author_facet | Ilona E. Kłosowska-Chomiczewska Gabriela Burakowska Paulina Żmuda-Trzebiatowska Aleksandra Soukup Iwona Rok-Czapiewska Elżbieta Hallmann Tetiana Pokynbroda Olena Karpenko Krystyna Mędrzycka Adam Macierzanka |
| author_sort | Ilona E. Kłosowska-Chomiczewska |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | A novel, cost-effective, partially purified biosurfactant in the form of a rhamnolipid biocomplex (RLBC) was investigated for its emulsifying properties. The RLBC was obtained through the cultivation of <i>Pseudomonas</i> sp. SP-17 on glycerol, followed by acidic precipitation, without the use of organic solvents for isolation or purification. Composed of rhamnolipids (RLs) and the exopolysaccharide alginate, RLBC exhibited emulsifying properties towards rapeseed oil comparable to those of purified RLs at concentrations as low as 0.15% (<i>w</i>/<i>w</i>), sufficient for the effective stabilisation of <i>oil-in-water</i> (<i>o</i>/<i>w</i>) high internal phase emulsions (HIPEs, 80% oil). Dynamic light scattering analysis revealed similar droplet sizes (9.54 ± 0.96 µm for RLBC vs. 8.93 ± 0.58 µm for RLs), while multiple light scattering confirmed high emulsion stability over 120 days. The emulsions displayed shear-thinning behaviour, with yield stresses of approximately 11.5 Pa and 7.7 Pa for systems prepared with RLBC and RLs, respectively, after seven days of pre-storage. Although increasing the RLBC concentration from 0.15% to 1% (<i>w</i>/<i>w</i>) slightly improved the degree of emulsion dispersion, it did not substantially impact the long-term stability observed at the lowest concentration. Biodegradation tests demonstrated that the RLBC preparations are environmentally friendly alternatives to synthetic surfactants, achieving 60% biodegradation within 2.5 days and complete biodegradation within 14 days, which outperformed synthetic emulsifiers. The RLBC offers both environmental and economic advantages over purified RLs, including reduced production costs and the elimination of organic solvents. Our findings highlight the potential of RLBC for stabilising HIPEs in applications requiring sustainable and biodegradable formulations, such as cosmetics, lubricants, and industrial fluids widely manufactured and utilised today. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-ca0f314aa3514820bcb3443e86045d0f |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1420-3049 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Molecules |
| spelling | doaj-art-ca0f314aa3514820bcb3443e86045d0f2025-08-20T02:48:03ZengMDPI AGMolecules1420-30492025-01-0130359510.3390/molecules30030595High Internal Phase <i>Oil-in-Water</i> Emulsions Stabilised by Cost-Effective Rhamnolipid/Alginate BiocomplexesIlona E. Kłosowska-Chomiczewska0Gabriela Burakowska1Paulina Żmuda-Trzebiatowska2Aleksandra Soukup3Iwona Rok-Czapiewska4Elżbieta Hallmann5Tetiana Pokynbroda6Olena Karpenko7Krystyna Mędrzycka8Adam Macierzanka9Chemical Faculty, Gdańsk University of Technology, G.Narutowicza 11/12, 80-233 Gdańsk, PolandChemical Faculty, Gdańsk University of Technology, G.Narutowicza 11/12, 80-233 Gdańsk, PolandChemical Faculty, Gdańsk University of Technology, G.Narutowicza 11/12, 80-233 Gdańsk, PolandChemical Faculty, Gdańsk University of Technology, G.Narutowicza 11/12, 80-233 Gdańsk, PolandChemical Faculty, Gdańsk University of Technology, G.Narutowicza 11/12, 80-233 Gdańsk, PolandChemical Faculty, Gdańsk University of Technology, G.Narutowicza 11/12, 80-233 Gdańsk, PolandDepartment of Physical Chemistry of Fossil Fuels Institute of Physical-Organic Chemistry and Coal Chemistry named after L. M. Lytvynenko, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, 3a Naukova Str., 79060 Lviv, UkraineDepartment of Physical Chemistry of Fossil Fuels Institute of Physical-Organic Chemistry and Coal Chemistry named after L. M. Lytvynenko, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, 3a Naukova Str., 79060 Lviv, UkraineChemical Faculty, Gdańsk University of Technology, G.Narutowicza 11/12, 80-233 Gdańsk, PolandChemical Faculty, Gdańsk University of Technology, G.Narutowicza 11/12, 80-233 Gdańsk, PolandA novel, cost-effective, partially purified biosurfactant in the form of a rhamnolipid biocomplex (RLBC) was investigated for its emulsifying properties. The RLBC was obtained through the cultivation of <i>Pseudomonas</i> sp. SP-17 on glycerol, followed by acidic precipitation, without the use of organic solvents for isolation or purification. Composed of rhamnolipids (RLs) and the exopolysaccharide alginate, RLBC exhibited emulsifying properties towards rapeseed oil comparable to those of purified RLs at concentrations as low as 0.15% (<i>w</i>/<i>w</i>), sufficient for the effective stabilisation of <i>oil-in-water</i> (<i>o</i>/<i>w</i>) high internal phase emulsions (HIPEs, 80% oil). Dynamic light scattering analysis revealed similar droplet sizes (9.54 ± 0.96 µm for RLBC vs. 8.93 ± 0.58 µm for RLs), while multiple light scattering confirmed high emulsion stability over 120 days. The emulsions displayed shear-thinning behaviour, with yield stresses of approximately 11.5 Pa and 7.7 Pa for systems prepared with RLBC and RLs, respectively, after seven days of pre-storage. Although increasing the RLBC concentration from 0.15% to 1% (<i>w</i>/<i>w</i>) slightly improved the degree of emulsion dispersion, it did not substantially impact the long-term stability observed at the lowest concentration. Biodegradation tests demonstrated that the RLBC preparations are environmentally friendly alternatives to synthetic surfactants, achieving 60% biodegradation within 2.5 days and complete biodegradation within 14 days, which outperformed synthetic emulsifiers. The RLBC offers both environmental and economic advantages over purified RLs, including reduced production costs and the elimination of organic solvents. Our findings highlight the potential of RLBC for stabilising HIPEs in applications requiring sustainable and biodegradable formulations, such as cosmetics, lubricants, and industrial fluids widely manufactured and utilised today.https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/30/3/595rhamnolipid biocomplexalginatebiosurfactant purityHIPEemulsion |
| spellingShingle | Ilona E. Kłosowska-Chomiczewska Gabriela Burakowska Paulina Żmuda-Trzebiatowska Aleksandra Soukup Iwona Rok-Czapiewska Elżbieta Hallmann Tetiana Pokynbroda Olena Karpenko Krystyna Mędrzycka Adam Macierzanka High Internal Phase <i>Oil-in-Water</i> Emulsions Stabilised by Cost-Effective Rhamnolipid/Alginate Biocomplexes Molecules rhamnolipid biocomplex alginate biosurfactant purity HIPE emulsion |
| title | High Internal Phase <i>Oil-in-Water</i> Emulsions Stabilised by Cost-Effective Rhamnolipid/Alginate Biocomplexes |
| title_full | High Internal Phase <i>Oil-in-Water</i> Emulsions Stabilised by Cost-Effective Rhamnolipid/Alginate Biocomplexes |
| title_fullStr | High Internal Phase <i>Oil-in-Water</i> Emulsions Stabilised by Cost-Effective Rhamnolipid/Alginate Biocomplexes |
| title_full_unstemmed | High Internal Phase <i>Oil-in-Water</i> Emulsions Stabilised by Cost-Effective Rhamnolipid/Alginate Biocomplexes |
| title_short | High Internal Phase <i>Oil-in-Water</i> Emulsions Stabilised by Cost-Effective Rhamnolipid/Alginate Biocomplexes |
| title_sort | high internal phase i oil in water i emulsions stabilised by cost effective rhamnolipid alginate biocomplexes |
| topic | rhamnolipid biocomplex alginate biosurfactant purity HIPE emulsion |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/30/3/595 |
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