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Correia VG, Bento A, Pais J, Rodrigues R, Haliński ŁP, Frydrych M, Greenhalgh A, Stepnowski P, Vollrath F, King AWT, Silva Pereira C. The molecular structure and multifunctionality of the cryptic plant polymer suberin. Mater Today Bio 2019; 5:100039. [PMID: 32211605 PMCID: PMC7083753 DOI: 10.1016/j.mtbio.2019.100039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2019] [Revised: 12/13/2019] [Accepted: 12/16/2019] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Suberin, a plant polyester, consists of polyfunctional long-chain fatty acids and glycerol and is an intriguing candidate as a novel antimicrobial material. We purified suberin from cork using ionic-liquid catalysis during which the glycerol bonds that ensure the polymeric nature of suberin remained intact or were only partially cleaved—yielding the closest to a native configuration reported to date. The chemistry of suberin, both in situ (in cryogenically ground cork) and ex situ (ionic-liquid extracted), was elucidated using high-resolution one- and two-dimensional solution-state NMR analyses. Centrifugation was used to isolate suberin particles of distinct densities and their monomeric composition, assembly, and bactericidal effect, inter alia, were assessed. Analysis of the molecular structure of suberin revealed the relative abundance of linear aliphatic vs. acylglycerol esters, comprising all acylglycerol configurations and the amounts of total carbonyls (C
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]]>O), free acid end groups (COOH), OH aliphatics, and OH aromatics. Suberin centrifuged fractions revealed generic physiochemical properties and monomeric composition and self-assemble into polygonal structures that display distinct degrees of compactness when lyophilized. Suberin particles—suberinsomes—display bactericidal activity against major human pathogenic bacteria. Fingerprinting the multifunctionality of complex (plant) polyesters such as suberin allows for the identification of novel polymer assemblies with significant value-added properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- V G Correia
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa (ITQB NOVA), Av. da República, 2780-157, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - A Bento
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa (ITQB NOVA), Av. da República, 2780-157, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - J Pais
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa (ITQB NOVA), Av. da República, 2780-157, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - R Rodrigues
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa (ITQB NOVA), Av. da República, 2780-157, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Ł P Haliński
- Department of Environmental Analysis, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 63, 80-308, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - M Frydrych
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Zoology Research and Administration Building, 11a Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3SZ, United Kingdom
| | - A Greenhalgh
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Zoology Research and Administration Building, 11a Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3SZ, United Kingdom
| | - P Stepnowski
- Department of Environmental Analysis, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 63, 80-308, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - F Vollrath
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Zoology Research and Administration Building, 11a Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3SZ, United Kingdom
| | - A W T King
- Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Helsinki, A.I. Virtasen Aukio 1 (Chemicum), PL 55, 00014, Finland
| | - C Silva Pereira
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa (ITQB NOVA), Av. da República, 2780-157, Oeiras, Portugal
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