ABSTRACT
Plant-based surfactants are amphiphilic organic molecules based on steroids, terpenoids and alkaloids, which carry uncommon potentiality to take up the boundaries and self-combined into diverse phases. There is an inclination toward natural surfactants instead of synthetic ones by virtue of the rising environmental interest. Sustainable surfactants which emerge as eco-friendly and green substitutes to their synthetic analogues are among the majority produced chemicals to meet the demand of consumers because they are minor toxicants, biodegradable and environmentally safe. In view of the demand of surfactants in several application areas, such as petroleum, agriculture, medicine, food, cosmetics etc, there is a need of expansion of various novel structural equivalents of these molecules by green approach. But due to their tremendous manufacturing rate and subsequent price, natural surfactants are not competent enough, thereby expecting better technology in future. This chapter deals with the plant-derived natural surfactants mainly steroids, terpenoids and alkaloids with their comprehensive aspects along with a proposal for future investigation.
