Biodegradable bacterial polyester films biodegradability

Barrier Properties of Biodegradable Bacterial Polyester Films... 

Chiellini E, Solaro R (1996) Biodegradable polymeric materials. Adv Mater 8 305-313 Cyras VP, Commisso MS, Mauri AN et al (2007) Biodegradable double-layer films based on biological resources polyhydroxybutyrate and cellulose. J Appl Polym Sci 106 749-756 De Koning GJM (1993). Prospects of bacterial poly[(R)-3-hydroxyalkanoates]. Center for Polymers and Composites (CPC), Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven Doi Y (1990) Microbial polyesters. Wiley, New York... 

Poly(hydroxyalkanoates) are polyesters that exist inside of many bacterial cells as storage compounds of carbon and energy, and they also exist outside of the cells. Enzymes that degrade the intracellular (native) polyesters are different from those that degrade the extracellular polyesters [81]. This discussion will focus on the enzymes that depolymerize the extracellular poly(hydroxyalkanoates), which are more crystalline than the intracellular polyesters. Of course, man-made fibers and films made of poly(hydroxyalkanoates) exist outside of microbial cells, and therefore extracellular depolymerases are required for their biodegradation. 

---