ABSTRACT
I. INTRODUCTION There has been a resurgence in the study and use of natural surfactants in recent years. The primary reasons are that these surfactants are generally viewed as possessing the potential to have less adverse impact on the environment and to be nontoxic. Sugar fatty acid esters are one group that has been receiving renewed attention for these very reasons. Condensation of one of the reactive sugar hydroxyl functionalities with a fatty acid yields a biosurfactant that has potential application in food, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals.
