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Bridging Polysaccharides from Nature to Products: Fundamentals and Technology 2.0
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Bridging Polysaccharides from Nature to Products: Fundamentals and Technology 2.0

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Macromolecules".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 August 2022) | Viewed by 10812

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Artur Valente

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Guest Editor
Department of Chemistry, University of Coimbra, 3004-535 Coimbra, Portugal
Interests: transport phenomena; surfactants; biopolymers; polysaccharides; supramolecular chemistry
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Pietro Matricardi

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Guest Editor
Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Faculty of Pharmacy and Medicine, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy
Interests: polysaccharide; hydrogels; nanohydrogels; drug delivery; tissue engineering
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Edvani C. Muniz

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Guest Editor
1. Department of Chemistry, State University of Maringá, UEM, Maringá 87020-900, Brazil
2. Department of Chemistry, Federal University of Piauí, Teresina CEP 64049-550, Brazil
Interests: chemical and physical hydrogels; chemical modification of polysaccharides; drug delivery from polymeric matrix; chemical recycling of polymers; electrospinning of polymers
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Polysaccharides are among the most abundant polymers in nature; they are found in plants and marine and terrestrial organisms. Common polysaccharides include cellulose, chitin, chitosan, starch, pectin, hyaluronic acid, alginate, carrageenan, and chondroitin sulfate. Polysaccharides have general biocompatibility (nontoxicity) and biodegradability, which is why these macromolecules are widely used in pharmaceutical, biomedical, and biotechnological applications. They also form easily 3D cross-linked structures, allowing their applications in pharmaceutical and environmental sciences. They are also extensively used as gelling agents, thickeners, stabilizers, and emulsifiers in food products. The presence of functional groups along the polymer chains allows their easy chemical functionalization, thus extending the exploitation opportunities.

This Special Issue aims to highlight fundamental and applied aspects of advanced research on polysaccharides in different fields including, but not limited to, biomedical, biochemistry, food chemistry, drug delivery, environmental science, and biorefinery and paper industry.

Prof. Dr. Artur J.M. Valente
Prof. Dr. Pietro Matricardi
Prof. Dr. Edvani C. Muniz
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

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Keywords

  • biomedical applications
  • biocompatibility and biological functions
  • cellulose dissolution
  • drug delivery
  • food chemistry
  • functional materials
  • hydrogels
  • nanoparticles and nanofibers
  • polysaccharides
  • tissue engineering

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 8919 KiB  
Article
Molecular Insight into the Self-Assembly Process of Cellulose Iβ Microfibril
by Tran Thi Minh Thu, Rodrigo A. Moreira, Stefan A. L. Weber and Adolfo B. Poma
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(15), 8505; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23158505 - 31 Jul 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2575
Abstract
The self-assembly process of β-D-glucose oligomers on the surface of cellulose Iβ microfibril involves crystallization, and this process is analyzed herein, in terms of the length and flexibility of the oligomer chain, by means of molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The characterization of this [...] Read more.
The self-assembly process of β-D-glucose oligomers on the surface of cellulose Iβ microfibril involves crystallization, and this process is analyzed herein, in terms of the length and flexibility of the oligomer chain, by means of molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The characterization of this process involves the structural relaxation of the oligomer, the recognition of the cellulose I microfibril, and the formation of several hydrogen bonds (HBs). This process is monitored on the basis of the changes in non-bonded energies and the interaction with hydrophilic and hydrophobic crystal faces. The oligomer length is considered a parameter for capturing insight into the energy landscape and its stability in the bound form with the cellulose I microfibril. We notice that the oligomer–microfibril complexes are more stable by increasing the number of hydrogen bond interactions, which is consistent with a gain in electrostatic energy. Our studies highlight the interaction with hydrophilic crystal planes on the microfibril and the acceptor role of the flexible oligomers in HB formation. In addition, we study by MD simulation the interaction between a protofibril and the cellulose I microfibril in solution. In this case, the main interaction consists of the formation of hydrogen bonds between hydrophilic faces, and those HBs involve donor groups in the protofibril. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bridging Polysaccharides from Nature to Products: Fundamentals and Technology 2.0)
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16 pages, 4489 KiB  
Article
Production of Trans-Cinnamic Acid by Immobilization of the Bambusa oldhamii BoPAL1 and BoPAL2 Phenylalanine Ammonia-Lyases on Electrospun Nanofibers
by Pei-Yu Hong, Yi-Hao Huang, GiGi Chin Wen Lim, Yen-Po Chen, Che-Jen Hsiao, Li-Hsien Chen, Jhih-Ying Ciou and Lu-Sheng Hsieh
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22(20), 11184; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms222011184 - 17 Oct 2021
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2715
Abstract
Phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) catalyzes the nonoxidative deamination of phenylalanine to yield trans-cinnamic acid and ammonia. Recombinant Bambusa oldhamii BoPAL1/2 proteins were immobilized onto electrospun nanofibers by dextran polyaldehyde as a cross-linking agent. A central composite design (CCD)-response surface methodology (RSM) was utilized [...] Read more.
Phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) catalyzes the nonoxidative deamination of phenylalanine to yield trans-cinnamic acid and ammonia. Recombinant Bambusa oldhamii BoPAL1/2 proteins were immobilized onto electrospun nanofibers by dextran polyaldehyde as a cross-linking agent. A central composite design (CCD)-response surface methodology (RSM) was utilized to optimize the electrospinning parameters. Escherichia coli expressed eBoPAL2 exhibited the highest catalytic efficiency among four enzymes. The optimum conditions for fabricating nanofibers were determined as follows: flow rate of 0.10 mL/h, voltage of 13.8 kV, and distance of 13 cm. The response surface models were used to obtain the smaller the fiber diameters as well as the highest PAL activity in the enzyme immobilization. Compared with free BoPALs, immobilized BoPALs can be reused for at least 6 consecutive cycles. The remained activity of the immobilized BoPAL proteins after storage at 4 °C for 30 days were between 75 and 83%. In addition, the tolerance against denaturants of the immobilized BoPAL proteins were significantly enhanced. As a result, the dextran polyaldehyde natural cross-linking agent can effectively replace traditional chemical cross-linking agents for the immobilization of the BoPAL enzymes. The PAL/nylon 6/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/chitosan (CS) nanofibers made are extremely stable and are practical for industrial applications in the future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bridging Polysaccharides from Nature to Products: Fundamentals and Technology 2.0)
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Review

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23 pages, 1576 KiB  
Review
Natural Gums as Oleogelators
by Karol Banaś and Joanna Harasym
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22(23), 12977; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms222312977 - 30 Nov 2021
Cited by 22 | Viewed by 4630
Abstract
The natural gums used as high molecular weight oleogelators are mainly polysaccharides that deliver a broad spectrum of possible utilization methods when structuring liquid fats to solid forms. The review discusses a natural gums’ structuring and gelling behavior to capture the oil droplets [...] Read more.
The natural gums used as high molecular weight oleogelators are mainly polysaccharides that deliver a broad spectrum of possible utilization methods when structuring liquid fats to solid forms. The review discusses a natural gums’ structuring and gelling behavior to capture the oil droplets and form the water/oil gelling emulsions basing on their structural conformation, internal charge, and polymeric characteristics. The specific parameters and characteristics of natural gums based oleogels are also discussed. In the future, oleogels may eliminate saturated and trans fats from food products and allow the production of low-fat products, thus reducing the environmental damage caused by the excessive use of palm oil. The increasing knowledge of molecular interaction in polysaccharide chains of natural gums allows to apply more sustainable and wiser strategies towards product formulation. Innovative solutions for using oleogels based on natural polysaccharide biopolymers let incorporate them into the food matrix and replace fats completely or create blends containing the source of fats and the addition of the oleogel. The profound insight into molecular characteristics of natural gums in the function of being oleogelators is presented. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bridging Polysaccharides from Nature to Products: Fundamentals and Technology 2.0)
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