Enzymatic Synthesis and Structural Modeling of Bio-Based Oligoesters as an Approach for the Fast Screening of Marine Biodegradation and Ecotoxicity.

Given the widespread use of esters and polyesters in products like cosmetics, fishing nets, lubricants and adhesives, whose specific application(s) may cause their dispersion in open environments, there is a critical need for stringent eco-design criteria based on biodegradability and ecotoxicity evidence. Our approach integrates experimental and computational methods based on short oligomers, offering a screening tool for the rapid identification of sustainable monomers and oligomers, with a special focus on bio-based alternates. We provide insights into the relationships between the chemical structure and properties of bio-based oligomers in terms of biodegradability in marine environments and toxicity in benchmark organisms.

Enzymatic route for selective glycerol oxidation using covalently immobilized laccases.

Glycerol is an important starting material for the synthesis of many chemical compounds and its selective oxidation represents an efficient way to produce value-added compounds. Glyceric acid, one of these selective oxidation products, is an important intermediate in the food, medicine, cosmetics, and light industries. In this work, four commercially available native laccases were screened for glycerol oxidation using different initiators, and the two most efficient biocatalysts were covalently immobilized on functionalized magnetic and polymethacrylate (Lifetech™) solid supports.

Bio-Based pH Indicator Films for Intelligent Food Packaging Applications.

The widespread concerns about the environmental problems caused by conventional plastic food packaging and food waste led to a growing effort to develop active and intelligent systems produced from renewable biodegradable polymers for food packaging applications. Among intelligent systems, the most widely used are pH indicators, which are generally based on a pH-sensitive dye incorporated into a solid support. The objective of this study was to develop new intelligent systems based on renewable biodegradable polymers and a new bio-inspired pH-sensitive dye.

Biodegradable Oligoesters of ε-Caprolactone and 5-Hydroxymethyl-2-Furancarboxylic Acid Synthesized by Immobilized Lipases.

Following the latest developments, bio-based polyesters, obtained from renewable raw materials, mainly carbohydrates, can be competitive for the fossil-based equivalents in various industries. In particular, the furan containing monomers are valuable alternatives for the synthesis of various new biomaterials, applicable in food additive, pharmaceutical and medical field. The utilization of lipases as biocatalysts for the synthesis of such polymeric compounds can overcome the disadvantages of high temperatures and metal catalysts, used by the chemical route.