Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 7, 2026

Enhanced Oil Recovery using a Combination of Biosurfactants
Published on: June 3, 2022
Hydrocarbon emulsification and enhanced crude oil degradation by lauroyl glucose ester
Dhanashree S Kelkar1, Ameeta R Kumar, Smita S Zinjarde
1Institute of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, University of Pune, Pune 411 007, India.
Abstract:
Enzymatically synthesized lauroyl glucose emulsified different hydrophobic substrates when assayed spectrophotometrically. Stable emulsions were formed with triglycerides as well as with hydrocarbons. There was a linear relation between the concentration of lauroyl glucose (50-450 microg) and emulsification activity under the assay conditions when tested with aromatic and aliphatic hydrocarbons. This sugar ester was able to emulsify the aromatic hydrocarbons benzene, toluene and xylene. Long chain alkanes (n-decane and n-hexadecane) as well as brominated long chain alkanes (1-bromodecane and 1-bromohexadecane) were efficiently emulsified. The effect of lauroyl glucose ester on degradation of crude oil by a known oil-degrading Rhodococcus species was also investigated. The culture showed enhanced degradation of crude oil when lauroyl glucose ester was used as an emulsifier. It degraded 70% of the aliphatic fraction of Bombay High crude oil in the presence of the sugar ester at a concentration of 200mg l(-1) as compared to 50% without the emulsifier.
Related Concept Videos
Microbial Bioremediation of Hydrocarbons
Biofuels
Esters to Carboxylic Acids: Acid-Catalyzed Hydrolysis
During hydrolysis, the ester is first activated towards nucleophilic attack through the protonation of the carboxyl oxygen atom by the acid catalyst. The protonation makes the ester carbonyl carbon more electrophilic. In the next step, water acts as a nucleophile and adds to the...
Esters to Carboxylic Acids: Saponification
The reaction requires a base in stoichiometric amounts, which participates in the reaction and is not regenerated later. So, the base acts as a...
Colloids
Lipid Digestion

