Fine Chemicals from Natural Sources with Potential Application in the Cosmetic/Pharmaceutical Industry

<p>It is beyond any doubt that chemistry has provided countless products which have improved the quality of human life in practically all areas. Unfortunately some of the products have proven to be hard to dispose of being non-biodegradable or toxic. Recently much care has been taken to ensure that chemical products should be first of all safe for humans. According to one of the approaches the cosmetic/pharmaceutical products used should be based on natural raw materials. With the use of physical chemical and biochemical processes these raw materials can be transformed into intermediates that are later used to produce high-value chemicals polymers lubricants solvents or surfactants and special products which until now have been obtained using fossil fuels.</p>