Pectin and Alginate Functional Biopolymers: Factors Influencing Structural Composition, Functional Characteristics and Biofilm Development
Source abstract
Abstract
Various natural polymers have been explored for their specific and desirable functional properties. Biopolymers have been found to hold the potential to satisfy many current environmental and health needs from a natural food packaging perspective. With a drive towards a more sustainable and plastic-free future, polymers like pectin and alginate have been considered key to reducing traditional plastic packaging usage in the food industry. These well-established, commercially available biopolymers display unique functional properties that can be manipulated in the development of biofilms that possess specific physical–mechanical properties. Pectin and alginate have also proven successful in the biomedical applications of encapsulation, drug delivery, wound healing and tissue engineering, greatly due to their ability to form biofilms and coatings. The structural and consequent functional properties of pectin and alginate have been investigated, although rarely concurrently with one another, focusing on biofilm development. Research has specifically identified and highlighted the importance of pectin and alginate in developing biofilms due to their versatile and charged structural nature. This review article discusses and highlights factors responsible for the specific properties displayed by pectin and alginate biofilms from a chemical and film development perspective.
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Research context
OpenAlex topics: Polysaccharides and Plant Cell Walls · Polysaccharides Composition and Applications · Microencapsulation and Drying Processes
SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.
Affiliations
Department of Sustainable Food Systems and Development, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein 9300, South Africa
References (100+)
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