Enzymatic modification of polysaccharides: Mechanisms, properties, and potential applications: A review

Polysaccharides are natural biopolymers found in almost all living organisms. They are used extensively in various industrial applications, such as food, adhesives, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics. In many cases, their practical use is limited because of their weak solubility in neutral pH, their unsuitable hydrophilic/hydrophobic balance. In this context, chemical or enzymatic modification of their structure appears as a relevant way, to improve their properties, and thus to enlarge the field of their potential applications. Taking into account the reduction of the input energy and the environmental impact, and due to high specificity and selectivity properties, enzymatic bioprocesses have been investigated as attractive alternatives to toxic and non-specific chemical approaches. This review discusses the methods of enzymatic functionalization of four well-known polysaccharides, chitosan, cellulose, pectin and starch. Particular emphasis was placed on the methods, the reaction types and the enzymes implicated in the modification such as laccases, peroxidases lipases, tyrosinases, and transglutaminases. The impact of functionalization on the properties and the applications of polysaccharide derivatives were described.