Laccase-mediated functionalization of chitosan with 4-hexyloxyphenol enhances antioxidant and hydrophobic properties of copolymer

A scientometric analysis and recent advances of emerging chitosan-based biomaterials as potential catalyst for biodiesel production: A review

Chitosan is a widely available polymer with a reasonably high abundance, as well as a sustainable, biodegradable, and biocompatible material with different functional groups that are used in a wide range of operations. Chitosan is frequently employed in widespread applications such as environmental remediation, adsorption, catalysts, and drug formulation. The goal of this review is to discuss the potential applications of chitosan and its chemically modified solids as a catalyst in biodiesel production. The existing manuscripts are integrated based on the nature of materials used as chitosan and its modifications. A short overview of chitosan's structural characteristics, properties, and some ideal methods to be considered in catalysis activities are addressed. This article includes an analysis of a chitosan-based scientometric conducted between 1975 and 2023 using VOS viewer 1.6.19. To identify developments and technological advances in chitosan research, the significant scientometric features of yearly publication results, documents country network, co-authorship network, documents funding sponsor, documents institution network, and documents category in domain analysis were examined. This review covers a variety of organic transformations and their effects, including chitosan reactions against acids, bases, metals, metal oxides, organic compounds, lipases, and Knoevenagel condensation. The catalytic capabilities of chitosan and its modified structures for producing biodiesel through transesterification reactions are explored in depth.

Water-resistance chitosan film through enzymatic treatment and layer-by-layer assembly with bacterial cellulose for food packaging materials

The pervasive presence of plastic packaging has led to significant environmental contamination due to excessive reliance on petrochemicals and the inherent non-biodegradability of these materials. Both bacterial cellulose (BC) and chitosan (CT) films offer a promising option for food packaging purposes due to their sturdy mechanical strength, biodegradability, environmentally friendly manufacturing process, and non-toxic composition. However, the considerable moisture absorption capacity of these eco-friendly materials has hindered their extensive use, as it leads to a reduction in their strength and ability to serve as a barrier. In the present study, we introduced a composite material of BC reinforced with a lauryl gallate grafted CT coating. After grafting CT with lauryl gallate (CT-LG) through enzymatic modification, it showed excellent hydrophobic properties also in a green route of chemistry synthesis. Based on the results of the study, the duration of the water droplet test of the pure CT-LG film and BC coated with CT-LG (BC/CT-LG) films was more than 15 min, showing that water droplets can be completely blocked by the CT-LG coating without water penetration. For the mechanical properties, the wet flexural strength and wet tensile strength of BC/CT-LG films have improved 400% and 70% compared with the original BC. This method produces a composite material with enhanced hydrophobicity and green properties and shows great potential for use in drinking straws or packaging bags.

Development of a Multi-Enzymatic Approach for the Modification of Biopolymers with Ferulic Acid

A series of polymers, including chitosan (CS), carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) and a chitosan-gelatin (CS-GEL) hybrid polymer, were functionalized with ferulic acid (FA) derived from the enzymatic treatment of arabinoxylan through the synergistic action of two enzymes, namely, xylanase and feruloyl esterase. Subsequently, the ferulic acid served as the substrate for laccase from Agaricus bisporus (AbL) in order to enzymatically functionalize the above-mentioned polymers. The successful grafting of the oxidized ferulic acid products onto the different polymers was confirmed through ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy, attenuated total reflectance (ATR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Additionally, an enhancement of the antioxidant properties of the functionalized polymers was observed according to the DDPH and ABTS protocols. Finally, the modified polymers exhibited strong antimicrobial activity against bacterial populations of Escherichia coli BL21DE3 strain, suggesting their potential application in pharmaceutical, cosmeceutical and food industries.

Molecular modifications, biological activities, and applications of chitosan and derivatives: A recent update

Polysaccharides arouse great interest due to their structure and unique properties, such as biocompatibility, biodegradability, and absence of toxicity. Polysaccharides from marine sources are particularly useful due to the wide variety of applications and biological activities. Chitosan, a deacetylated derivative of chitin, is an example of an interesting bioactive marine-derived polysaccharide. Moreover, a wide variety of chemical modifications and conjugation of chitosan with other bioactive molecules are responsible for improvements in physicochemical properties and biological activities, expanding the range of applications. An overview of the synthetic approaches for preparing chitosan, chitosan derivatives, and conjugates is described and discussed. A recent update of the biological activities and applications in different research fields, mainly focused on the last 5 years, is presented, highlighting current trends.

Laccase-Catalyzed Grafting of Lauryl Gallate on Chitosan To Improve Its Antioxidant and Hydrophobic Properties

Biografting is a promising and ecofriendly approach to meet various application requirements of products. Herein, a popular green enzyme, laccase, was adopted to graft a hydrophobic phenolic compound (lauryl gallate, LG) onto chitosan (CTS). The resultant chitosan derivate (Lac/LG-CTS) was systematically analyzed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), grafting efficiency, scanning probe microscopy (SPM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). This grafting technique produced a multifunctional chitosan copolymer with remarkably enhanced antioxidant property, hydrophobicity, and moisture barrier property. Furthermore, the swelling capacity and acid solubility of the copolymer film decreased significantly, although the tensile strength and elongation were slightly weakened as compared to those of native chitosan. These results suggest that the Lac/LG-CTS holds great potential as a food-packaging material, preservative agent, or edible coating material.

Enhancing hydrophobicity, strength and UV shielding capacity of starch film via novel co-cross-linking in neutral conditions

Starch films are developed as the biodegradable packaging materials to replace the petroleum-based materials in recent years. Thus, it is extremely beneficial to improve the hydrophobicity and mechanical strength of starch films, through a novel approach of co-cross-linking in neutral conditions, with glyoxal and AZC. In this work, systematic studies have been conducted to assess the performance of the co-cross-linked starch along with the control starch and starch cross-linked by glyoxal or AZC alone. Results showed that the co-cross-linked starch films exhibited significantly improved hydrophobicity and strength and the wet stress reached 1.53 MPa, compared to the control, glyoxal or AZC cross-linked starch films. More interestingly, the co-cross-linked film also demonstrated excellent UV shielding capacity and transmittance at visible wavelength range. The reaction mechanism was revealed based on the findings from UV, FT-IR and NMR spectra. This work established an innovative approach to improving the performance of starch film in neutral conditions for packaging applications.

Preparation of Gallic Acid-Grafted Chitosan Using Recombinant Bacterial Laccase and Its Application in Chilled Meat Preservation

To improve the antibacterial and antioxidant properties of chitosan (CS), CS grafted with gallic acid (GA) using recombinant bacterial laccase from Bacillus vallismortis fmb-103 (fmb-rL103) as a catalyst. The structures of grafted chitosans were identified using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and UV visible spectrum (UV–Vis spectroscopy). After gallic acid grafting, the antibacterial properties of chitosans against Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter, Brochothrix thermosphacta, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella, and Listeria monocytogenes were significantly improved. Meanwhile, 1,1-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging results showed that the antioxidant properties of grafted CS increased as well. The preservative effects of the grafted chitosan on chilled meat were then investigated. For this purpose, the quality indexes of the chilled meat during the storage were monitored, including total bacterial count, total basic volatile nitrogen (TVB-N) content, pH value, color and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and so on. The results showed that coating with the grafted chitosan retarded the growth of spoilage bacteria, and decreased TVB-N and TBARS values of meat. The shelf life of chilled meat coated by CS grafted with GA (GA-g-CS) also extended from 6 days to 18 days at 4°C. These results provided a theoretical basis for the future application of the GA-g-CS in the preservation of chilled meat.

Highlights:(1)

The temperature and pH-stable bacterial laccase was used to synthesize gallic acid grafted chitosan.

(2)

Antioxidant and antibacterial properties of chitosan were improved through grafting gallic acid.

(3)

Storage properties of chilled meat were improved by coating with gallic acid grafted chitosan.

Horseradish peroxidase-mediated synthesis of an antioxidant gallic acid-g-chitosan derivative and its preservation application in cherry tomatoes

Horseradish peroxidase-mediated grafting of gallic acid to chitosan with good antioxidant capacity for preservation of cherry tomatoes.