Composite suture material based on polylactide accelerates the healing of surgical wounds in in vivo experiment.

In laboratory conditions, composite sutures based on polylactide (PLA) containing chitin nanofibrils modified with polyethylene glycol (CN-PEG) and poviargol (silver nanoparticles stabilized with poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone)) were obtained, studied, and used as a prototype. Surgical sutures threads with the addition of CN-PEG have stable mechanical properties both in air and in a buffer simulating the environment of a living organism. The yield strength of oriented threads decreased by an average of 15%, whereas for non-oriented threads the decrease was 3-4 times.

Generation of Microplastics from Biodegradable Packaging Films Based on PLA, PBS and Their Blend in Freshwater and Seawater.

Biodegradable polymers and their blends have been advised as an eco-sustainable solution; however, the generation of microplastics (MPs) from their degradation in aquatic environments is still not fully grasped. In this study, we investigated the formation of bio-microplastics (BMPs) and the changes in the physicochemical properties of blown packaging films based on polylactic acid (PLA), polybutylene succinate (PBS) and a PBS/PLA 70/30 wt% blend after degradation in different aquatic media. The tests were carried out in two temperature/light conditions to simulate degradation in either warm water, under sunlight exposure (named Warm and Light-W&L), and cold deep water (named Cold and Dark-C&D).

Understanding the Impact of Biodegradable Microplastics on Living Organisms Entering the Food Chain: A Review.

Microplastics (MPs) pollution has emerged as one of the world's most serious environmental issues, with harmful consequences for ecosystems and human health. One proposed solution to their accumulation in the environment is the replacement of nondegradable plastics with biodegradable ones. However, due to the lack of true biodegradability in some ecosystems, they also give rise to biodegradable microplastics (BioMPs) that negatively impact different ecosystems and living organisms.