NEW MICRO AND NANO-STRUCTURED EMULSIONS BASED ON COLLAGEN AND KERATIN HYDROLYSATES

Abstract

The aim of the paper is to create new micro and nano-structured emulsions based on multifunctional surfactants (bolaform and gemini) with potential applications in designing foliar fertilizers based on collagen and keratin additives. Collagen and keratin additives were extracted from leather industry by-products using chemical and chemical-enzymatic hydrolyses. Bolaamphiphiles and gemini are new classes of amphiphilic surfactants with large potential of applications due to the high ability to deliver active substances. The preparation of nano and micro emulsions was based on optimisation of main parameters system composition, emulsifiers, shearing speed and temperature in a two-stage process.The used lipophilic non-ionic emulsifier is a long-chain fatty acid ester - isopropyl oleate, the hydrophilic emulsifier is a diester of sucrose and a vegetable oil in order to obtain a multiple water-oil-water emulsion due to the ability of surfactants to orient and make honeycomb formations, at nano and micro scale. The saturation of an aqueous solution of collagen and keratin hydrolysates with microelements was done up to 40% by using 2% of diester of sucrose. Due to properties such as biodegradability, nontoxicity, adherence to surfaces, surfactants based on sugar may be successfully used as fertilizers in agriculture. In our research we have elaborated a new method for including microelements and collagen or keratin hydrolysates in stable emulsions with the final purpose of application as a new class of foliar fertilizer.

Keywords

• Surfactant
• bolaform and gemini
• smart emulsion
• collagen
• keratin hydrolysate