Sugar-based emulsifiers: Sustainable molecules with great potential

The demand for foods, cosmetics, personal hygiene products, cleaning products, and pharmaceutical products is increasing globally. These common products are widely used in homes and workplaces. On the other hand, increasing production has raised global warming and environmental issues, necessitating the finding of new sustainable solutions. As a result, industries are attempting to discover new bioactive ingredients from nature as alternatives to synthetic ones. This review covers some of the main categories of natural sugar-based surfactants (sugar derivatives and alkyl polyglucosides) as prospective emulsifiers, their preparation methods, and potential applications. Various production routes for mono- and polysaccharide-based emulsifiers and their advantages for the industry are highlighted. The readers will be able to approach the synthesis of sugar-based emulsifiers and their use in the food, pharmaceutical, personal care, and cosmetic industries. The synthetic methods use natural ingredients to generate emulsifiers with desired biodegradability and ecotoxicology profiles. In this review, we have compiled and described the present synthetic methodologies for sugar-based emulsifiers and their applications in various fields.