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Bioengineering the Future: Tomato Peel Cutin as a Resource for Medical Textiles
Gianni Pecorini1, Martina Tamburriello1, Erika Maria Tottoli1
1Department of Drug Sciences, University of Pavia, Viale Taramelli 12, 27100 Pavia, Italy.
Polymers
|April 28, 2025
Summary
This study valorizes tomato peel waste into biodegradable medical textiles using electrospinning. These novel materials offer a sustainable solution for medical applications like face masks and wound healing patches.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Biotechnology
- Environmental Science
Background:
- Rising medical waste poses environmental challenges.
- Circular economy principles enable waste valorization into new materials.
- Agro-food waste offers biodegradable alternatives to reduce environmental impact.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop novel medical textiles from tomato peel cutin and poly(L-lactide-co-ε-caprolactone) (PLAPCL) via electrospinning.
- To optimize the electrospinning process for creating dense and porous textile structures.
- To evaluate the properties and environmental impact of the developed medical textiles.
Main Methods:
- Electrospinning of PLAPCL-cutin blends.
- Characterization using SEM, DSC, TGA, FTIR, GPC, contact angle, tensile testing, and MTT assay.
- Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) focusing on greenhouse gas emissions.
Main Results:
- Successful fabrication of PLAPCL-cutin textiles with tunable structures.
- Comprehensive characterization confirmed desirable morphological, thermal, and physicochemical properties.
- Textiles demonstrated stability to gamma irradiation, suitable mechanical properties, and biocompatibility.
- LCA indicated a reduced environmental impact, particularly in GHG emissions.
Conclusions:
- PLAPCL-cutin blends are suitable for electrospinning into medical textiles.
- The developed textiles show potential for applications such as surgical face masks and wound healing patches.
- This approach promotes waste valorization and sustainable medical material development.
