Biodegradable plastics polyhydroxyalkanoates

Urtuvia, V., Villegas, P., Gonzalez, M., Seeger, M., 2014. Bacterial production of the biodegradable plastics polyhydroxyalkanoates. Intemational Journal of Biological Mcaromolecules 70, 208-213. 

Within this context, the search for a material that is durable while in use and degradable after its disposal has led to the emergence of biodegradable plastic— materials that decompose into carbon dioxide and water as the final result of the action of microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi [5]. Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) constitute examples of such materials. 

Abstract Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) is a plastic-like material synthesized by many bacteria. PHA serves as an energy and carbon storage componnd for the bacteria. PHA can be extracted and purified from the bacterial cells and the resulting product resembles some commodity plastics such as polypropylene. Because PHA is a microbial product, there are natural enzymes that can degrade and decompose PHA. Therefore, PHA is an attractive material that can be developed as a bio-based and biodegradable plastic. In addition, PHA is also known to be biocompatible and can be used in medical devices and also as bioresorbable tissue engineering scaffolds. In this chapter, a brief introduction about PHA and the fermentation feedstock for its production are given. 

Keywords Bio-based Biodegradable Microorganism Palm oil PHA Plastics Polyhydroxyalkanoate Polymer... 

K. Sudesh, Polyhydroxyalkanoates from Palm Oil Biodegradable Plastics, SpringerBriefs in Microbiology, DOI 10.1007/978-3-642-33539-6 2,... 

Sudesh K, DoiY (2005) Polyhydroxyalkanoates. Handbook of Biodegradable Polymers Sudesh K, Iwata T (2008) Sustainabdity of biobased and biodegradable plastics.Qean... 

Poirier, Y., Nawrath, C., Somerville, C. Production of polyhydroxyalkanoates, a family of biodegradable plastics and elastomers in bacterial and plant. Biotechnol 13, 142-150 (1995)... 

Puiushothaman, M., Anderson, R., Narayana, S. and Jayaraman, V. (2001) Industrial byproducts as cheaper medium components influencing the production of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) - biodegradable plastics. Bioprocess and Biosystems Engineering, 24, 131-136. 

Nonato RV, Mantelatto PE, Rossell CEV (2001) Integrated production of biodegradable plastic, sugar and ethanol. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 57 1-5 Ojumu TV, Yu J, Solomon BO (2004) Production of polyhydroxyalkanoate, a biodegradable polymer. Afr J Biotechnol 3 18-24... 

Sudesh K, Abe H, Doi Y (2000) Synthesis, structure and properties of polyhydroxyalkanoates biological polyesters. Prog Polym Sci 25(10) 1503-1555 Sudesh K, Iwata T (2008) Sustainability of biobased and biodegradable plastics. Clean 36 433-442 Taniguchi I, Kagotani K, Kimura Y (2003) Microbial production of poly(hydroxyalkanoate)s from waste edible oils. Green Chem 5 545-548... 

Abstract Synthesis of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) in crop plants is viewed as an attractive approach for the production of this family of biodegradable plastics in large qnantities and at low costs. Synthesis of PHAs containing various monomers has so far been demonstrated in the cytosol, plastids, and peroxisomes of plants. Several biochemical pathways have been modified to achieve this, including the isoprenoid pathway, the fatty acid biosynthetic pathway, and the fatty acid P-oxidation pathway. PHA synthesis has been demonstrated in a number of plants, including monocots and dicots, and np to 40% PHA per gram dry weight has been demonstrated in Arabidopsis thaliana. Despite some successes, production of... 

Sudesh, K. Polyhydroxyalkanoates from Pahn Oil Biodegradable Plastics, Springer, Heidelberg, New York, Dordrecht, and London (2013). 

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) represent an important group of biodegradable plastics. They are produced by various bacteria in many grades, differing in composition, molecular weight and other parameters [1, 2]. The formation of a particular material, either homo or copolymra depends on the type of bacteria, but even more important are the conditions of polymer formation, mainly the substrate used for feeding the bacteria and the conditions of their growth. 

Many workers have used PyMS to study the structures of polymers, both natural and artificial. Understanding the performance of polymers in terms of cohesion and substrate adhesion is of immense commercial significance in the paint and adhesive industries. Similarly, the behavior of polymers under stress and when exposed to external factors such as ultraviolet light has been extensively studied by PyMS and is useful in the development of novel materials that have desirable properties, e.g., fire-retardant coatings and biodegradable fibers. There is much interest in polyhydroxyalkanoates as potentially biodegradable plastics, and PyMS has been a principal method used to study thermal degradation profiles of this material. Similarly, in forensic science, PyMS has been used to analyze fibers and to help match samples of automotive finishes to paint chips found at crime scenes. 

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) is a family of structurally diverse biopolyesters accumulated by many bacteria as carbon and energy source (Figure 16.1)d PHA have been exploited with a series of applications including environmentally friendly biodegradable plastics for packaging purposes, biofuels, medical implants, and recently, smart materials. PHA monomers are also produced as chiral intermediates for medical or fine chemical applications. ... 

Sudesh K. Polyhydroxyalkanoates fiom Palm oil biodegradable plastics (eBook/PDF). Springer 2012. 

The blending of NR with two types of biodegradable plastics, namely polylactic acid (PLA) and polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are discussed in this section. 

Del Marco, S. Advances in Polyhydroxyalkanoate Production in Bacteria for Biodegradable Plastics. MMG445, Basic Biotechnology e-Joumal, www.msu.edu/course/mmg/445, pp. 1-4 (2005). 

Mergaert, J., Wouters, A., Swings, J. and Kersters, K. (1992) Microbial flora involved in the biodegradation of polyhydroxyalkanoates, in Biodegradable Polymers and Plastics, (eds M. Vert et al. Royal Society of Chemistry, Cambridge, pp. 95-100. 

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