Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 12, 2025
10:22
Designed for Molecular Recycling: A Lignin-Derived Semi-aromatic Biobased Polymer
Published on: November 30, 2020
3.5K
Recent trends in polysaccharide-based biodegradable polymers for smart food packaging industry
Pinku Chandra Nath1, Ramesh Sharma2, Shubhankar Debnath2
1Department of Applied Biology, University of Science and Technology, Meghalaya 793101, India.
International Journal of Biological Macromolecules
|October 21, 2023
Summary
Polysaccharide-based biodegradable polymers like cellulose, starch, and alginate offer sustainable food packaging solutions. Research shows membrane and chromatography methods, along with nanotechnology, enhance their properties and shelf life.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Polymer Chemistry
- Environmental Science
Background:
- Conventional plastic packaging poses environmental challenges.
- Polysaccharide-based biodegradable polymers (cellulose, starch, alginate) present sustainable alternatives.
- Understanding material degradation is crucial for effective bio-based packaging.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review polysaccharide-based biodegradable polymers (cellulose, starch, alginate) for food packaging.
- To explore their properties, commercial potential, and recent developments.
- To highlight advancements in nanotechnology and active agent incorporation.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of polysaccharide-based biodegradable polymers.
- Analysis of production methods including membrane and chromatography.
- Overview of nanotechnology applications and active agent incorporation.
Main Results:
- Membrane and chromatography are key production techniques for these polymers.
- Nanotechnology significantly enhances the properties of cellulose, starch, and alginate packaging.
- Active agents improve food shelf life when incorporated into these bio-based materials.
Conclusions:
- Cellulose, starch, and alginate biodegradable polymers show great potential in the food packaging industry.
- Further research and development are needed to optimize properties and commercial viability.
- These materials contribute to environmental sustainability and reduced reliance on plastics.
Related Concept Videos
01:20Types of Step-Growth Polymers: Polyesters
2.3K
The introduction of polyesters has brought major development to the textile industry. The wrinkle-free behavior of polyester blends has eliminated the need for starching and ironing clothes.
Polyesters are commonly prepared from terephthalic acid and ethylene glycol; the crude product is known as poly(ethylene terephthalate) or PET. However, polyesters are synthesized industrially by transesterification of dimethyl terephthalate with ethylene glycol at 150 °C. The two reactants and the...
Polyesters are commonly prepared from terephthalic acid and ethylene glycol; the crude product is known as poly(ethylene terephthalate) or PET. However, polyesters are synthesized industrially by transesterification of dimethyl terephthalate with ethylene glycol at 150 °C. The two reactants and the...
2.3K
01:26Biosynthesis of Polysaccharides
18
Polysaccharides such as glycogen and starch are synthesized from nucleoside diphosphate sugars, primarily uridine diphosphate glucose (UDPG) and adenosine diphosphate glucose (ADPG). These activated glucose donors act as key intermediates in carbohydrate metabolism and biosynthesis. UDPG primarily involves glycogen synthesis in animals and many bacteria, while ADPG plays a fundamental role in starch synthesis in plants and certain bacteria.UDPG is formed when glucose-1-phosphate reacts with...
18
02:34Polymers
35.8K
The word polymer is derived from the Greek words “poly” which means “many” and “mer” which means “parts”. Polymers are long chains of molecules composed of repeating units of smaller molecules, known as monomers. They either occur naturally, such as DNA and proteins, or can be constructed synthetically, like plastics. They have varied structural characteristics, such as linear chains, branched chains, or complex networks, that contribute to the...
35.8K
01:03Step-Growth Polymerization: Overview
3.5K
Step-growth or condensation polymerization is a stepwise reaction of bi or multifunctional monomers to form long-chain polymers. As all the monomers are reactive, most of the monomers are consumed at the early stages of the reaction to form small chains of reactive oligomers, which then combine to form long polymer chains in the late stages. Hence, the reaction has to proceed for a long time to achieve high molecular weight polymers.
Many natural and synthetic polymers are produced by...
Many natural and synthetic polymers are produced by...
3.5K
01:14Polymer Classification: Architecture
2.7K
Polymers are classified as linear or branched on the basis of their chain architecture. The polymer chains in linear polymers have a long chain-like structure with minimal to no branching at all. Even if a polymer features large substituent groups on the monomer, which appear as branches to the skeleton, it is not considered a branched polymer. A branched polymer contains secondary polymer chains that arise from the main polymer chain. The branching occurs when the polymer growth shifts from...
2.7K
03:25Chemistry of Carbohydrates
72.8K
Carbohydrates are an essential part of the diet in humans and animals. Grains, fruits, and vegetables are natural sources of carbohydrates that provide energy to the body, particularly through glucose, a simple sugar that is a component of starch and an ingredient in many staple foods. The stoichiometric formula (CH2O)n, where n is the number of carbons in the molecule represents carbohydrates. In other words, the ratio of carbon to hydrogen to oxygen is 1:2:1 in carbohydrate molecules. This...
72.8K