Bioplastic Production Using Natural Extracts with Cellulose Assisted by Experimental and Computational Screening
The increasing demand for sustainable and environmentally friendly materials has prompted intensive research into developing bioplastics as viable alternatives to conventional petroleum-derived plastics. Here, we report a novel approach to bioplastic production by employing plant extract-based solve...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Molecules |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/30/13/2752 |
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| author | Lizbeth Zamora-Mendoza Jhonny Caicho José R. Mora Daniela Negrete-Bolagay Victor H. Guerrero Noroska G. S. Mogollón Melanie Ochoa-Ocampo Jefferson Pastuña-Fasso José F. Álvarez Barreto Sebastián Ponce Juan Paredes Henry Erazo Patricia I. Pontón Marco León Frank Alexis |
| author_facet | Lizbeth Zamora-Mendoza Jhonny Caicho José R. Mora Daniela Negrete-Bolagay Victor H. Guerrero Noroska G. S. Mogollón Melanie Ochoa-Ocampo Jefferson Pastuña-Fasso José F. Álvarez Barreto Sebastián Ponce Juan Paredes Henry Erazo Patricia I. Pontón Marco León Frank Alexis |
| author_sort | Lizbeth Zamora-Mendoza |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The increasing demand for sustainable and environmentally friendly materials has prompted intensive research into developing bioplastics as viable alternatives to conventional petroleum-derived plastics. Here, we report a novel approach to bioplastic production by employing plant extract-based solvents to partially dissolve cellulose, a fundamental biopolymer precursor. Using plant-derived solvents addresses concerns surrounding the environmental impact of traditional solvent-based processes, as per the principles of green chemistry. Using computational screening, some natural products were identified from the integrated database resource MEGx. Six natural sources were selected based on their molecular weight, high pKa, and chemical classification. Thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and column chromatography confirmed the presence of molecules in the extracts. Bioplastics were prepared with 1, 3, 6, 10, and 15 wt.% plant extract concentrations. Control samples without conventional dissolved and positive controls were also studied to compare their properties with novel bioplastics. Chemical characterization and biodegradability tests were performed. Degradation in water and soil tests for 35 days showed that the biodegradability of the bioplastics with natural extracts at higher concentrations was faster than that of the control samples. By day 35, bioplastics containing 15 wt.% of the D1 W extract showed rapid degradation, with higher weight loss compared with the conventional controls. The positive control (C4), containing NaOH and glycerol, degraded more slowly than the plant extract-based formulations. Also, the test indicated that the natural dissolvent’s influence on the water uptake of the material produced a better performance than the control samples. The surfaces of the bioplastic formulations were analyzed using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) at different magnifications. The findings presented here hold promise for advancing the field of bioplastics and contributing to the sustainable utilization of plant resources for eco-friendly material production. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-0f9ea407ffff49c2bc1ad96ceb23dc75 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1420-3049 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Molecules |
| spelling | doaj-art-0f9ea407ffff49c2bc1ad96ceb23dc752025-08-20T03:50:17ZengMDPI AGMolecules1420-30492025-06-013013275210.3390/molecules30132752Bioplastic Production Using Natural Extracts with Cellulose Assisted by Experimental and Computational ScreeningLizbeth Zamora-Mendoza0Jhonny Caicho1José R. Mora2Daniela Negrete-Bolagay3Victor H. Guerrero4Noroska G. S. Mogollón5Melanie Ochoa-Ocampo6Jefferson Pastuña-Fasso7José F. Álvarez Barreto8Sebastián Ponce9Juan Paredes10Henry Erazo11Patricia I. Pontón12Marco León13Frank Alexis14Departamento de Ingeniería Química, Colegio de Ciencias e Ingenierías, Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ), Quito 170901, EcuadorDepartamento de Ingeniería Química, Colegio de Ciencias e Ingenierías, Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ), Quito 170901, EcuadorDepartamento de Ingeniería Química, Colegio de Ciencias e Ingenierías, Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ), Quito 170901, EcuadorDepartamento de Materiales, Escuela Politécnica Nacional (EPN), Quito 170143, EcuadorDepartamento de Materiales, Escuela Politécnica Nacional (EPN), Quito 170143, EcuadorBiomolecules Discovery Group, Universidad Regional Amazónica Ikiam, Tena 150101, EcuadorLaboratorio de Productos Naturales, Universidad Regional Amazónica Ikiam, Km 7 Vía Muyuna, Tena 1701518, EcuadorLaboratorio de Productos Naturales, Universidad Regional Amazónica Ikiam, Km 7 Vía Muyuna, Tena 1701518, EcuadorDepartamento de Ingeniería Química, Colegio de Ciencias e Ingenierías, Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ), Quito 170901, EcuadorDepartamento de Ingeniería Química, Colegio de Ciencias e Ingenierías, Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ), Quito 170901, EcuadorFacultad de Ingeniería Civil y Mecánica, Universidad Técnica de Ambato (UTA), Ambato 180207, EcuadorFacultad de Ingeniería Civil y Mecánica, Universidad Técnica de Ambato (UTA), Ambato 180207, EcuadorDepartamento de Materiales, Escuela Politécnica Nacional (EPN), Quito 170143, EcuadorInstitute for Energy and Materials, Colegio de Ciencias e Ingenierías, Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ), Quito 170901, EcuadorDepartamento de Ingeniería Química, Colegio de Ciencias e Ingenierías, Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ), Quito 170901, EcuadorThe increasing demand for sustainable and environmentally friendly materials has prompted intensive research into developing bioplastics as viable alternatives to conventional petroleum-derived plastics. Here, we report a novel approach to bioplastic production by employing plant extract-based solvents to partially dissolve cellulose, a fundamental biopolymer precursor. Using plant-derived solvents addresses concerns surrounding the environmental impact of traditional solvent-based processes, as per the principles of green chemistry. Using computational screening, some natural products were identified from the integrated database resource MEGx. Six natural sources were selected based on their molecular weight, high pKa, and chemical classification. Thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and column chromatography confirmed the presence of molecules in the extracts. Bioplastics were prepared with 1, 3, 6, 10, and 15 wt.% plant extract concentrations. Control samples without conventional dissolved and positive controls were also studied to compare their properties with novel bioplastics. Chemical characterization and biodegradability tests were performed. Degradation in water and soil tests for 35 days showed that the biodegradability of the bioplastics with natural extracts at higher concentrations was faster than that of the control samples. By day 35, bioplastics containing 15 wt.% of the D1 W extract showed rapid degradation, with higher weight loss compared with the conventional controls. The positive control (C4), containing NaOH and glycerol, degraded more slowly than the plant extract-based formulations. Also, the test indicated that the natural dissolvent’s influence on the water uptake of the material produced a better performance than the control samples. The surfaces of the bioplastic formulations were analyzed using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) at different magnifications. The findings presented here hold promise for advancing the field of bioplastics and contributing to the sustainable utilization of plant resources for eco-friendly material production.https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/30/13/2752bioplasticcellulosenatural dissolventplant extract |
| spellingShingle | Lizbeth Zamora-Mendoza Jhonny Caicho José R. Mora Daniela Negrete-Bolagay Victor H. Guerrero Noroska G. S. Mogollón Melanie Ochoa-Ocampo Jefferson Pastuña-Fasso José F. Álvarez Barreto Sebastián Ponce Juan Paredes Henry Erazo Patricia I. Pontón Marco León Frank Alexis Bioplastic Production Using Natural Extracts with Cellulose Assisted by Experimental and Computational Screening Molecules bioplastic cellulose natural dissolvent plant extract |
| title | Bioplastic Production Using Natural Extracts with Cellulose Assisted by Experimental and Computational Screening |
| title_full | Bioplastic Production Using Natural Extracts with Cellulose Assisted by Experimental and Computational Screening |
| title_fullStr | Bioplastic Production Using Natural Extracts with Cellulose Assisted by Experimental and Computational Screening |
| title_full_unstemmed | Bioplastic Production Using Natural Extracts with Cellulose Assisted by Experimental and Computational Screening |
| title_short | Bioplastic Production Using Natural Extracts with Cellulose Assisted by Experimental and Computational Screening |
| title_sort | bioplastic production using natural extracts with cellulose assisted by experimental and computational screening |
| topic | bioplastic cellulose natural dissolvent plant extract |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/30/13/2752 |
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