Polysaccharides Biodegradable films

Biodegradable films made from edible biopolymers from renewable sources could become an important factor in reducing the environmental impact of plastic waste. Proteins, lipids, and polysaccharides are the main biopolymers employed to make edible films and coatings. Which of these components are present in different proportions and determine the properties of the material, as a barrier to water vapor, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and lipid transfer in food systems (Gomez-Guillen et al. 2002 and 2009). 

Hayashibara in Japan has produced Pullulan polysaccharide-based biodegradable films. Properties were reported to be similar to polystyrene. Aisero Chemical in Japan has produced biodegradable films and gels made by reacting chitin, found in the shells of crustaceans, with concentrated bases to form chitosan. Films manufactured from chitosan and cellulosic fiber have been reported to be hydrophilic, but not water-soluble, and to be good oxygen barriers. ... 

V.D. Alves, A.R. Ferreira, N. Costa, F. Freitas, M.A.M. Reis, and I.M. Coelhoso, Characterization of biodegradable films from the extracellular polysaccharide produced by Pseudomonas oleovorans grown on glycerol byproduct, Carbohydr. Polym., 83, 1582-1590, 2011. 

Proteins and polysaccharides produced on an annual kiloton scale in the world have attracted extensive research attention as potentially the most significant eco-materials as well as edible and biodegradable films and coatings (Thakur and Thakur 2014a, b, c). Edible films made from polysaccharides and proteins act as excellent barriers to nonpolar substances such as O2, CO2, and lipid, particularly at low relative humidities. In contrast to synthetic polymers having a simpler and more random structure, biopolymers are complex molecular assemblies with precise and... 

One of the first experiments in this direction in our laboratories was the development of copolymers containing polyurethanes (PU) and maltose, oligosaccharides, or polysaccharides. The intention was to use the film-forming qualities of PU and its insolubility in water, whereas maltose, or the polysaccharides or oligosaccharides should function as a colon-biodegradable estimated site of separation. Maltose was used as the simplest building block, but it proved too short for an enzymatic attack. It was found that a straight, but not a branched,... 

In this chapter, the main characteristics of chitin and chitosan and the more convenient techniques used for their characterization will be presented together with their main physical properties. Furthermore, the materials obtained with these polysaccharides will be described. It is important to recall that chitin is a natural polymer that is also biocompatible and biodegradable, an important advantage for biomedical and pharmaceutical applications. Good film forming properties is valuable for packaging or other applications in the domain of materials. 

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