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Perspectives of Biopolymer Functionalization for New Materials

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Biobased and Biodegradable Polymers".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 February 2026 | Viewed by 196

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Laboratory of Bioproducts Technology, Department of Engineering and Technology of Chemical Processes, Organic and Pharmaceutical Technology Group, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego 29, 50-370 Wrocław, Poland
Interests: encapsulation; controlled drug delivery; targeted drug delivery; biomaterials; polysaccharides; carbohydrate chemistry; phytochemicals
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Biopolymers such as polysaccharides and proteins of various sources are well-known compounds due to their biocompatibility and biodegradability. These molecules in their native form are interesting materials for a wide range of applications such as food excipients, drug delivery systems, packaging materials with an extended shelf life, wound dressing materials, surface modifications, tissue scaffolds, and biologically active compounds in pharmaceutical and cosmetic formulations. Chemical, chemoenzymatic and physical modifications of the structure of biopolymers and biopolymer-based materials pave the way for the maximum functionalization of the valuable properties of polysaccharides and proteins. This Special Issue welcomes manuscripts contributing not only to new techniques and underlying mechanisms for the adaptation of functional materials but also to new products with controlled functions that can also be obtained for pharmaceutical applications, tissue engineering, food industry and agriculture.

Dr. Marta Tsirigotis-Maniecka
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • polysaccharide
  • protein
  • grafting
  • derivatization
  • covalent interactions
  • non-covalent interactions
  • conjugation
  • inorganic particles
  • polymer

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

20 pages, 2846 KB  
Article
Eco-Friendly Recovery of Homogalacturonan-Rich Pectin from Flaxseed Cake via NADES Extraction
by Aleksandra Mazurek-Hołys, Ewa Górska, Marta Tsirigotis-Maniecka, Maria Zoumpanioti, Roman Bleha and Izabela Pawlaczyk-Graja
Polymers 2025, 17(18), 2532; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17182532 - 19 Sep 2025
Abstract
Flaxseed polysaccharides (FLP) are bioactive macromolecules with valuable functional properties and applications in the food, pharmaceutical, and packaging industries. This study focused on obtaining high-purity pectin from flaxseed cake using sustainable extraction with natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES) based on choline chloride (ChCl) [...] Read more.
Flaxseed polysaccharides (FLP) are bioactive macromolecules with valuable functional properties and applications in the food, pharmaceutical, and packaging industries. This study focused on obtaining high-purity pectin from flaxseed cake using sustainable extraction with natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES) based on choline chloride (ChCl) and citric acid (CA) The ChCl/CA system (1:1) resulted in the LU3 extract, which provided the best outcome, yielding the highest pectin recovery (36.88 mg/g), elevated uronic acid content (30.33% of sample; 68.15% of saccharides), and the lowest protein contamination (11.46%), confirming superior pectin purity. Structural (UV-Vis, FT-IR, GC-MS, GPC, LH-20) identified homogalacturonan with xylogalacturonan domains (53% DM) and a molecular weight range of 14–500 × 103 g/mol. Morphological and physicochemical characterization, including SEM/EDS imaging, zeta potential analysis, and rheological measurements, revealed that LU3 is an anionic, heterogeneous biopolymer exhibiting pH-dependent charge behavior. These properties underscore its potential as a safe and effective material for bio-industrial applications. Overall, the study demonstrates that NADES provide an eco-friendly and efficient medium for extracting high-quality pectin from flaxseed cake, offering a sustainable strategy for the valorization of flaxseed polysaccharides in bio-based products. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Perspectives of Biopolymer Functionalization for New Materials)
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