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Polymers
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Advanced Polymer Materials from Natural Resources
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Advanced Polymer Materials from Natural Resources

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Polymer Analysis and Characterization".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 August 2023) | Viewed by 15187

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Noelia Flórez-Fernández

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Guest Editor
CINBIO, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Vigo, Campus Ourense, As Lagoas S/N, 32004 Ourense, Spain
Interests: algae; green extraction; oligosaccharides; fucoidan; biomolecules; biological activities; antioxidant activity
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Herminia Domínguez

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Centro de Investigaciones Biomédicas (CINBIO), Departamento de Enxeñería Química, Universidade de Vigo (Campus Ourense), Edificio Politécnico, As Lagoas, 32004 Ourense, Spain
Interests: bioactive compounds; macroalgae; vegetal biomass; environmentally-friendly extraction technologies; membranes; waste valorisation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. María Dolores Torres

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemical Engineering, Universidade de Vigo (Campus Ourense), Science Faculty, As Lagoas, 32004 Ourense, Spain
Interests: food rheology; functional foodstuff; gluten-free matrices; food product innovation with food by-products
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Polymers are currently present in our life in different areas; therefore, in-depth research on advanced polymer materials is a current issue. Over recent years, there has been a continuously growing interest in the development of sustainable, safe, and environmentally friendly biopolymer-based materials from renewable resources to cope with the growing market demand. The challenge is to tailor biopolymers from natural sources with enhanced functional properties when compared with their synthetic counterparts without jeopardizing their thermomechanical profiles. Another key factor is to be able to obtain biopolymers adapted processing using emerging technologies such as 3D printing.

These polymers could be obtained from several raw materials, from marine sources to terrestrial plants or vegetables. In this context, strategies associated with the extraction technologies to achieve advanced biopolymers are essential. Structure and mechanical features are also critically relevant to the processing, manufacturing and final application of biopolymers. Their functional properties can be highly dependent on the aforementioned factors. Innovative final applications are also the targets of further study.

This Special Issue aims to provide an overview of recent research advances in Advanced Polymer Materials from Natural Resources that find an application in several fields, from food to non-food sectors. As Guest Editors, we cordially invite contributions in the form of original research articles or reviews on this subject.

Dr. Noelia Flórez-Fernández
Prof. Dr. Herminia Domínguez
Dr. María Dolores Torres
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Polymers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • antioxidant activity
  • antitumoral activity
  • biological properties
  • biopolymers
  • mechanical features
  • marine and agricultural sources
  • 3D printing

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 1944 KiB  
Article
Chemical Structures and Antioxidant Activities of Polysaccharides from Carthamus tinctorius L.
by Dan Lin, Cheng-Jian Xu, Yang Liu, Yu Zhou, Shuang-Li Xiong, Hua-Chang Wu, Jing Deng, Yu-Wen Yi, Ming-Feng Qiao, Hang Xiao, Sook-Wah Chan and Yi Lu
Polymers 2022, 14(17), 3510; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14173510 - 26 Aug 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1409
Abstract
Two polysaccharides from Carthamus tinctorius L. (CTLP-1 and CTLP-2) were purified, and their structures were analyzed by physical and chemical testing. CTLP-1 had a mass of 5900 Da that was composed of arabinose, glucose, and galactose with a mass molar ratio of 6.7:4.2:1. [...] Read more.
Two polysaccharides from Carthamus tinctorius L. (CTLP-1 and CTLP-2) were purified, and their structures were analyzed by physical and chemical testing. CTLP-1 had a mass of 5900 Da that was composed of arabinose, glucose, and galactose with a mass molar ratio of 6.7:4.2:1. The backbone of CTLP-1 was →1)-α-GalAp-(1→4)-α-Arap-(1→2)-α-Glup-(4→. CTLP-2 had a mass of 8200 Da that was composed of arabinose, glucose, and galactose with a mass molar ratio of 16.76:4.28:1. The backbone of CTLP-2 was →1)-α-Galp-(2,6 →1)-α-Arap-(4,6 →1)-α-Glup-(3→. Both of them exhibited a high reducing power, hydroxyl radical scavenging activity, DPPH radical scavenging activity and ABTS radical scavenging activity, moderate Fe2+ chelating activity and superoxide anion scavenging activity, implying that they might be potential antioxidants. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Polymer Materials from Natural Resources)
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14 pages, 1153 KiB  
Article
Potential of the Liquid Fermentation of Fishery Waste by Paenibacillus elgii for Metalloprotease Production
by Chien Thang Doan, Thi Ngoc Tran, Minh Trung Nguyen, Huu Kien Nguyen, Thi Kim Thi Tran, Thi Hanh Nguyen, Thi Phuong Hanh Tran, Van Bon Nguyen, Anh Dzung Nguyen and San-Lang Wang
Polymers 2022, 14(13), 2741; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14132741 - 05 Jul 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1660
Abstract
This study attempted to use fishery processing wastes to produce protease by Paenibacillus elgii TKU051. Of the tested wastes, tuna head powder (THP) was found to be the most effective carbon and nitrogen (C/N) source, and the optimal conditions were as follows: 0.811% [...] Read more.
This study attempted to use fishery processing wastes to produce protease by Paenibacillus elgii TKU051. Of the tested wastes, tuna head powder (THP) was found to be the most effective carbon and nitrogen (C/N) source, and the optimal conditions were as follows: 0.811% THP, 0.052% K2HPO4, 0.073% MgSO4, initial pH of 8.96, incubation temperature of 31.4 °C, and incubation time of 3.092 days to achieve the maximum protease activity of 2.635 ± 0.124 U/mL. A protease with a molecular weight of 29 kDa was purified and biochemically characterized. Liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry analysis revealed an amino acid sequence of STVHYSTR of P. elgii TKU051 protease, suggesting that the enzyme may belong to the M4 family of metalloproteases. The optimal activity of the enzyme was achieved at 60 °C and pH 8. P. elgii TKU051 protease was strongly inhibited by ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid and 1,10-phenanthroline, indicating its precise metalloprotease property. P. elgii TKU051 protease displayed the activity toward casein and raw fishery wastes such as tuna heads, tuna viscera, shrimp heads, and squid pens. Finally, the purified P. elgii TKU051 protease could improve the free-radical scavenging activity of fishery wastes. In short, P. elgii TKU051 has potential application in eco-friendly approaches to efficiently convert fishery wastes to metalloprotease. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Polymer Materials from Natural Resources)
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18 pages, 5466 KiB  
Article
Extraction, Biochemical Characterization, and Health Effects of Native and Degraded Fucoidans from Sargassum crispifolium
by Wei-Cheng Hsiao, Yong-Han Hong, Yung-Hsiang Tsai, Yi-Chen Lee, Anil Kumar Patel, Hui-Ru Guo, Chia-Hung Kuo and Chun-Yung Huang
Polymers 2022, 14(9), 1812; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14091812 - 28 Apr 2022
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 1593
Abstract
In the current investigation, a native crude fucoidan (Ex) was extracted from Sargassum crispifolium, pretreated by single-screw extrusion, and two degraded fucoidans, i.e., ExAh (degradation of Ex by ascorbic acid) and ExHp (degradation of Ex by hydrogen peroxide), were obtained. The extrusion [...] Read more.
In the current investigation, a native crude fucoidan (Ex) was extracted from Sargassum crispifolium, pretreated by single-screw extrusion, and two degraded fucoidans, i.e., ExAh (degradation of Ex by ascorbic acid) and ExHp (degradation of Ex by hydrogen peroxide), were obtained. The extrusion pretreatment increased the extraction yield of fucoidan by approximately 1.73-fold as compared to the non-extruded sample. Among Ex, ExAh, and ExHp, their molecular weight and chemical compositions varied, but the structural features were similar. ExHp possessed the greatest antioxidant activities among the extracted fucoidans. According to the outcome, ExAh exhibited the maximum immune promoting effects via enhanced NO, TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-10 secretion. Thus, both ExHp and ExAh may potentially be used as an effective antioxidant and as immunostimulant agents, which could be of great value in the development of food and nutraceutical products. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Polymer Materials from Natural Resources)
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11 pages, 17576 KiB  
Article
Comparative Investigation of the Physicochemical Properties of Chars Produced by Hydrothermal Carbonization, Pyrolysis, and Microwave-Induced Pyrolysis of Food Waste
by Moonis Ali Khan, Bassim H. Hameed, Masoom Raza Siddiqui, Zeid A. Alothman and Ibrahim H. Alsohaimi
Polymers 2022, 14(4), 821; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14040821 - 20 Feb 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1804
Abstract
This work presents a comparative study of the physicochemical properties of chars derived by three thermochemical pathways, namely: hydrothermal carbonization, HTC (at 180, 200 and 220 °C), pyrolysis, PY, (at 500, 600 and 700 °C) and microwave assisted pyrolysis, MW (at 300, 450 [...] Read more.
This work presents a comparative study of the physicochemical properties of chars derived by three thermochemical pathways, namely: hydrothermal carbonization, HTC (at 180, 200 and 220 °C), pyrolysis, PY, (at 500, 600 and 700 °C) and microwave assisted pyrolysis, MW (at 300, 450 and 600 W). The mass yield of HTC samples showed a decrease (78.7 to 26.7%) as the HTC temperature increased from 180 to 220 °C. A similar decreasing trend in the mass yield was also observed after PY (28.45 to 26.67%) and MW (56.45 to 22.44%) of the food waste mixture from 500 to 700 °C and 300 to 600 W, respectively. The calorific value analysis shows that the best among the chars prepared by three different heating methods may be ranked according to the decreasing value of the heating value as: PY500, MW300, and HTC180. Similarly, a decreasing trend in H/C values was observed as: PY500 (0.887), MW300 (0.306), and HTC180 (0.013). The scanning electron microscope (SEM) analyses revealed that the structure of the three chars was distinct due to the different temperature gradients provided by the thermochemical processes. The results clearly show that the suitable temperature for the HTC and PY of food waste was 180 °C and 500 °C, respectively, while the suitable power for the MW of food waste was 300 W. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Polymer Materials from Natural Resources)
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15 pages, 1729 KiB  
Article
Green Extraction of Carrageenans from Mastocarpus stellatus
by Noelia Flórez-Fernández, Elena Falqué, Herminia Domínguez and María Dolores Torres
Polymers 2022, 14(3), 554; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14030554 - 29 Jan 2022
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2653
Abstract
The recovery of biopolymers from natural resources using eco-friendly extraction technologies that enhance their mechanical properties has gained attention in recent years. In this context, this work deals with the isolation of hybrid carrageenans from Mastocarpus stellatus red seaweed using subcritical water extraction [...] Read more.
The recovery of biopolymers from natural resources using eco-friendly extraction technologies that enhance their mechanical properties has gained attention in recent years. In this context, this work deals with the isolation of hybrid carrageenans from Mastocarpus stellatus red seaweed using subcritical water extraction operating in a wide range of thermal conditions (70–190 °C). The extracted biopolymers were analyzed by means of either Fourier-Transform infrared, nuclear magnetic resonance, rheological or cell viability assays. In parallel, the fundamental chemical composition of the seaweed used as raw material, as well as the main phytochemical properties of the soluble liquid extracts, were also studied. Results indicated that thermal extraction conditions significantly affected the rheological behavior of the recovered hybrid carrageenans. The hybrid carrageenan extraction yields varied, with results between 10.2 and 30.2% being the highest values obtained at hydrothermal treatment of 130 °C. A wide palette of viscous features was identified for recovered hybrid carrageenans, with the strongest rheology properties observed at the same temperature. It should be remarked that the maximum inhibitory effect was also obtained at 130 °C for both the ovarian carcinoma cell line (A2780) (65%, IC50: 0.31 mg/mL) and lung carcinoma cell line (A549) (59%, IC50: 0.41 mg/mL). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Polymer Materials from Natural Resources)
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16 pages, 2692 KiB  
Article
Comparative Characterization and Identification of Poly-3-hydroxybutyrate Producing Bacteria with Subsequent Optimization of Polymer Yield
by Aidana Rysbek, Yerlan Ramankulov, Askar Kurmanbayev, Agnieszka Richert and Sailau Abeldenov
Polymers 2022, 14(2), 335; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14020335 - 15 Jan 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1894
Abstract
In this work, the strains Bacillus megaterium RAZ 3, Azotobacter chrocococcum Az 3, Bacillus araybhattay RA 5 were used as an effective producer of poly-3-hydroxybutyrate P(3HB). The purpose of the study was to isolate and obtain an effective producer of P(3HB) isolated from [...] Read more.
In this work, the strains Bacillus megaterium RAZ 3, Azotobacter chrocococcum Az 3, Bacillus araybhattay RA 5 were used as an effective producer of poly-3-hydroxybutyrate P(3HB). The purpose of the study was to isolate and obtain an effective producer of P(3HB) isolated from regional chestnut soils of northern Kazakhstan. This study demonstrates the possibility of combining the protective system of cells to physical stress as a way to optimize the synthesis of PHA by strains. Molecular identification of strains and amplification of the phbC gene, transmission electron microscope (TEM), extracted and dried PHB were subjected to Fourier infrared transmission spectroscopy (FTIR). The melting point of the isolated P(3HB) was determined. The optimal concentration of bean broth for the synthesis of P(3HB) for the modified type of Bacillus megaterium RAZ 3 was 20 g/L, at which the dry weight of cells was 25.7 g/L−1 and P(3HB) yield of 13.83 g/L−1, while the percentage yield of P(3HB) was 53.75%. The FTIR spectra of the extracted polymer showed noticeable peaks at long wavelengths. Based on a proof of concept, this study demonstrates encouraging results. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Polymer Materials from Natural Resources)
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17 pages, 3778 KiB  
Article
Isolation and Characterization of Polysaccharides from the Ascidian Styela clava
by Jesus Valcarcel, José Antonio Vázquez, Uxía R. Varela, Rui L. Reis and Ramon Novoa-Carballal
Polymers 2022, 14(1), 16; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14010016 - 22 Dec 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2718
Abstract
Styela clava is an edible sea squirt farmed in Korea that has gradually invaded other seas, negatively impacting the ecology and economy of coastal areas. Extracts from S. clava have shown wide bioactivities, and ascidians have the unique capability among animals of biosynthesizing [...] Read more.
Styela clava is an edible sea squirt farmed in Korea that has gradually invaded other seas, negatively impacting the ecology and economy of coastal areas. Extracts from S. clava have shown wide bioactivities, and ascidians have the unique capability among animals of biosynthesizing cellulose. Thus, S. clava is a relevant candidate for valorization. Herein, we aimed at surveying and characterizing polysaccharides in both tunic and flesh of this ascidian. To this end, we enzymatically hydrolyzed both tissues, recovering crystalline cellulose from the tunic with high aspect ratios, based on results from microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and infrared spectroscopy analyses. Alkaline hydroalcoholic precipitation was applied to isolate the polysaccharide fraction that was characterized by gel permeation chromatography (with light scattering detection) and NMR. These techniques allowed the identification of glycogen in the flesh with an estimated Mw of 7 MDa. Tunic polysaccharides consisted of two fractions of different Mw. Application of Diffusion-Ordered NMR allowed spectroscopically separating the low-molecular-weight fraction to analyze the major component of an estimated Mw of 40–66 kDa. We identified six different sugar residues, although its complexity prevented the determination of the complete structure and connectivities of the residues. The two more abundant residues were N-acetylated and possibly components of the glycosaminoglycan-like (GAG-like) family, showing the remaining similarities to sulfated galactans. Therefore, Styela clava appears as a source of nanocrystalline cellulose and GAG-like polysaccharides. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Polymer Materials from Natural Resources)
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