Novel bioplastic from single cell protein as a potential packaging material

Microbial treatment of biodegradable wastes not only ensures neutralization of harmful substances such as volatile organic compounds but also enables valorization and bio-circularity within the society. Single cell protein (SCP) is a value-added product that can be obtained from biodegradable waste materials such as food waste via microbial fermentation. In this article, SCP derived from potato starch waste was demonstrated as a viable alternative to existing plant/animal proteins used in the production of films, for example, packaging applications. Flexible glycerol-plasticized SCP films were prepared through compression molding, and tensile tests revealed strength and stiffness similar to other plasticized protein films. The oxygen barrier properties were significantly better compared to the common polyethylene packaging material, but as with other highly polar materials, the SCP material must be shielded from moisture if used in, for example, food packaging. The biodegradation test revealed a similar degradation pattern as observed for a household compostable bag. The results showed that SCP-based bioplastic films can be considered as potential alternative to the existing plant/animal protein films and certain synthetic polymers. An important advantage with these protein materials is that they do not cause problems similar to microplastics

Photoantimicrobial Biohybrids by Supramolecular Immobilization of Cationic Phthalocyanines onto Cellulose Nanocrystals

This is the peer-reviewed version of the following article: Anaya‐Plaza, E., van de Winckel, E., Mikkilä, J., Malho, J. M., Ikkala, O., Gulías, O., ... & Kostiainen, M. A. (2017). Photoantimicrobial biohybrids by supramolecular immobilization of cationic phthalocyanines onto cellulose nanocrystals. Chemistry–A European Journal, 23(18), 4320-4326., which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1002/chem.201605285. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley-VCH Terms and Conditions for Self-ArchivingThe development of photoactive and biocompatible nanostructures is a highly desirable goal to address the current threat of antibiotic resistance. Here, we describe a novel supramolecular biohybrid nanostructure based on the non-covalent immobilization of cationic zinc phthalocyanine (ZnPc) derivatives onto unmodified cellulose nanocrystals (CNC), following an easy and straightforward protocol, in which binding is driven by electrostatic interactions. These non-covalent biohybrids show strong photodynamic activity against S. aureus and E. coli, representative examples of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, respectively, and C. albicans, a representative opportunistic fungal pathogen, outperforming the free ZnPc counterparts and related nanosystems in which the photosensitizer is covalently linked to the CNC surfaceA.d.l.E. acknowledges a Ramón y Cajal contract from the Spanish Ministry of Economy (MINECO). The work at Madrid was supported by the EU [SO2S (FP7‐PEOPLE‐2012‐ITN, 316975); and CosmoPHOS‐nano (FP7‐NMP‐2012‐6, 310337‐2)], the Spanish MINECO [CTQ‐2014‐52869‐P (T.T.) and CTQ‐2014‐53673‐P (A.d.l.E.)] and Comunidad de Madrid [FOTOCARBON (S2013/MIT‐2841)]. J.M., V.L., and M.A.K. acknowledge support through the Emil Aaltonen Foundation and the Academy of Finland (grants 267497, 273645 and 263504). This work was supported by the Academy of Finland through its Centers of Excellence Programme (2014–2019) and made use of the Aalto University Nanomicroscopy Centre (Aalto NMC). The work in Barcelona was supported by the Spanish MINECO (grant CTQ2013‐48767‐C3‐1‐R). R.B.‐O. thanks the European Social Funds and the SUR del DEC de la Generalitat de Catalunya for his predoctoral fellowship (2016 FI B1 00021)

Rhamnogalacturonan-I based microcapsules for targeted drug release

Drug targeting to the colon via the oral administration route for local treatment of e.g. inflammatory bowel disease and colonic cancer has several advantages such as needle-free administration and low infection risk. A new source for delivery is plant-polysaccharide based delivery platforms such as Rhamnogalacturonan-I (RG-I). In the gastro-intestinal tract the RG-I is only degraded by the action of the colonic microflora. For assessment of potential drug delivery properties, RG-I based microcapsules (~1 μm in diameter) were prepared by an interfacial poly-addition reaction. The cross-linked capsules were loaded with a fluorescent dye (model drug). The capsules showed negligible and very little in vitro release when subjected to media simulating gastric and intestinal fluids, respectively. However, upon exposure to a cocktail of commercial RG-I cleaving enzymes, ~ 9 times higher release was observed, demonstrating that the capsules can be opened by enzymatic degradation. The combined results suggest a potential platform for targeted drug delivery in the terminal gastro-intestinal tract

Vermicious thermo-responsive Pickering emulsifiers

Thermo-responsive vermicious (or worm-like) diblock copolymer nanoparticles prepared directly in n-dodecane via polymerisation-induced self-assembly (PISA) were used to stabilise water-in-oil Pickering emulsions. Mean droplet diameters could be tuned from 8 to 117 μm by varying the worm copolymer concentration and the water volume fraction and very high worm adsorption efficiencies (∼100%) could be obtained below a certain critical copolymer concentration (∼0.50%). Heating a worm dispersion up to 150 °C led to a worm-to-sphere transition, which proved to be irreversible if conducted at sufficiently low copolymer concentration. This affords a rare opportunity to directly compare the Pickering emulsifier performance of chemically identical worms and spheres. It is found that the former nanoparticles are markedly more efficient, since worm-stabilised water droplets are always smaller than the equivalent sphere-stabilised droplets prepared under identical conditions. Moreover, the latter emulsions are appreciably flocculated, whereas the former emulsions proved to be stable. SAXS studies indicate that the mean thickness of the adsorbed worm layer surrounding the water droplets is comparable to that of the worm cross-section diameter determined for non-adsorbed worms dispersed in the continuous phase. Thus the adsorbed worms form a monolayer shell around the water droplets, rather than ill-defined multilayers. Under certain conditions, demulsification occurs on heating as a result of a partial worm-to-sphere morphological transition

Composite foams made from biodegradable polymers for food packaging applications

Polymeric foams are cell structures (porous microstructures) that have been frequently made from synthetic polymers for use in the development of food packaging. Due to the problems concerning the environmental impact caused by polymers from the petrochemical industry, the foams have been more recently studied from biodegradable polymers. However, the polymer materials obtained are usually susceptible to moisture, thus conditioning the collapse of the porous structure of the material. As an alternative, the composite foams have been investigated from nanofillers such as clays, cellulose, nanoparticles, among others. This chapter aims to analyze the recent advances in the studies of composite foams.Fil: Araque Moreno, Luis Miguel. Federal University Of Piauí; BrasilFil: Alvarez, Vera Alejandra. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencia y Tecnología de Materiales. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ingeniería. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencia y Tecnología de Materiales; ArgentinaFil: Gutiérrez Carmona, Tomy José. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencia y Tecnología de Materiales. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ingeniería. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencia y Tecnología de Materiales; Argentin

Macro and nano dimensional plant fiber reinforcements for Cementitious Composites

uncorrected proofNowadays, the use of plant fibers in the civil construction industry is growing rapidly due to their low cost, light weight and good specific mechanical properties, lower health hazard, and environmental benefits. Nanodimensional fibers derived from plants such as nanocellulose are also getting considerable attention due to their excellent mechanical properties. This chapter discusses these different types of plant fibers and their derivatives which have huge application potential in the civil construction sector. The influence of plant fibers on microstructure as well as on physical–mechanical properties of cementitious composites are discussed in detail. The challenges regarding plant fiber processing and dispersion, the fiber/matrix interface, and the durability of plant fiber-cement composites are also addressed. The application of nanocellulose in polymer composites has been included in this chapter just to provide the readers sufficient background information and techniques to inspire engineered cement-based composites. Finally, the chapter concludes with the current application of plant fibers in civil construction and the future trends(undefined)info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Starch Plastic Packaging and Agriculture Applications

Paper constitutes the most important material in the United States for packaging and containers largely because of its low cost and wide availability (WPO, 2008). It is also perceived as a sustainable material because it is derived from plants and is recycled at a very high percentage (62%) (EPA, 2010). Plastic ranks as the second most used packaging material in the United States. Plastics can provide transparency, greater moisture protection, and various mechanical properties that are superior to paper packaging. Consequently, some types of plastic packaging continue to grow faster than other packaging materials (WPO, 2008). In contrast to paper, only 7% of plastic generated as waste is recycled. This explains why more plastics ultimately end up in landfills than paper or any other packaging material (EPA, 2010). Plastic processors worldwide are becoming increasingly aware that environmentally sustainable packaging has become mainstream. It can no longer be considered only a niche market that can be ignored or given token attention. Informed consumers are demanding sustainable packaging; state and local governments are mandating it; and now, even the largest retailers are building it into the foundation of their marketing strategies (Deligio, 2009; Wood, 2010)