The Use of Chitosan, Alginate, and Pectin in the Biomedical and Food Sector—Biocompatibility, Bioadhesiveness, and Biodegradability

Abstract

Nowadays, biopolymers as intelligent and active biopolymer systems in the food and pharmaceutical industry are of considerable interest in their use. With this association in view, biopolymers such as chitosan, alginate, pectin, cellulose, agarose, guar gum, agar, carrageenan, gelatin, dextran, xanthan, and other polymers have received significant attention in recent years due to their abundance and natural availability. Furthermore, their versatile properties such as non-toxicity, biocompatibility, biodegradability, and flexibility offer significant functionalities with multifunctional applications. The purpose of this review is to summarize the most compatible biopolymers such as chitosan, alginate, and pectin, which are used for application in food, biotechnological processes, and biomedical applications. Therefore, chitosan, alginate, and pectin are biopolymers (used in the food industry as a stabilizing, thickening, capsular agent, and packaging) with great potential for future developments. Moreover, this review highlights their characteristics, with a particular focus on their potential for biocompatibility, biodegradability, bioadhesiveness, and their limitations on certain factors in the human gastrointestinal tract.

Klebsiella pneumoniae—A Useful Pathogenic Strain for Biotechnological Purposes: Diols Biosynthesis under Controlled and Uncontrolled pH Levels

“…For example, Cheng et al [49] employed a K. pneumoniae strain M5al in batch cultivation at a bioreactor level and achieved 18 g/L PDO and up to 5 g/L of BDO after 18 h of cultivation, while the pH was maintained at 6.8 through the automatic addition of NaOH, and the starting substrate concentration was 40 g/L of glycerol. Da PDO is a three-carbon diol with an important contribution in ecological materials division (e.g., biopolymers, polyesters, composites, coatings), while BDO is a four-carbon diol with a major role in the industry of polymers [34,35,48]. Considering the results obtained for PDO and BDO (Table 1, Figure 1), these were similar to those reported in the literature.…”

“…A higher pH tolerance (e.g., 8) was related to the genetically modified strains, which were optimized for an elevated metabolite production such as PDO [47], while a lower pH level inhibits cell division [46]. PDO is a three-carbon diol with an important contribution in ecological materials division (e.g., biopolymers, polyesters, composites, coatings), while BDO is a four-carbon diol with a major role in the industry of polymers [34,35,48]. Considering the results obtained for PDO and BDO (Table 1, Figure 1), these were similar to those reported in the literature.…”

Poly(vinyl alcohol)-Based Biofilms Plasticized with Polyols and Colored with Pigments Extracted from Tomato By-Products

“…There is an increasing interest in the use of biomass-derived polymers and the study of techniques for the development of biodegradable packaging, an alternative to the use of polymers from non-renewable sources for use in bioplastic packaging [17,18]. Moreover, interest in natural substances that can be used as process additives in polymers is increasing [19,20].…”

Thermal Processing for the Release of Phenolic Compounds from Wheat and Oat Bran

“…For example, ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) [31,32] represents a novel and low-cost technique that can improve the bioactive compound extraction rate and efficiency. UAE can be applied for both the extraction of interest compounds and for their encapsulation by different biopolymers [33][34][35][36][37]. There are different thermal processes (e.g., steaming, pressured steam-heating, drum drying, roasting, and microwave heating), largely applied to increase the palatability, stability, and safety of cereal-based food products.…”