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Polymers
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Natural Polysaccharide: Synthesis, Modification and Application (2nd Edition)
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Natural Polysaccharide: Synthesis, Modification and Application (2nd Edition)

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2025 | Viewed by 3618

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Lili Wang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Engineering Research Center for Eco-Dyeing and Finishing of Textiles (Ministry of Education), College of Textiles Science and Engineering, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, China
Interests: modification of natural polysaccharide; natural antibacterial agent; biomass flame retardant; natural surfactant
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Natural polysaccharides have garnered significant attention due to their sustainability, biodegradability, and environmental friendliness. There are abundant functional groups in the structure of natural polysaccharides with the potential for chemical modification via different approaches. Modified polysaccharides can be applied in many fields, such as chemical engineering, medicine, electronic engineering, textiles, and so on.

This Special Issue of the open access journal Polymers aims to collect cutting-edge, innovative and original research papers on the topic of “Natural Polysaccharides: Synthesis, Modification and Application”. The scope of this Special Issue includes, but is not limited to, the following:

  • Synthesis of natural polysaccharides;
  • Modification of natural polysaccharides;
  • Development of new natural polysaccharides;
  • Structural characterization of natural polysaccharides;
  • Functional materials based on natural polysaccharides;
  • Application of new natural polysaccharides.

We look forward to receiving contributions describing natural polysaccharides.

Dr. Lili Wang
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Polymers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • synthesis of natural polysaccharides
  • modification of natural polysaccharides
  • biomass polysaccharide
  • natural surfactant
  • functional natural polymer
  • natural emulsion

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 7376 KiB  
Article
The Effect of Polysaccharide Colloids on the Thermal Stability of Water-in-Oil Emulsions
by Shunfa Zhao, Ran Wang, Ying Xu, Caiyun Wang, Jun Xu, Pengjie Wang, Yonggang Fu, Jiaqi Su, Hanyu Chai, Jian He and Han Chen
Polymers 2025, 17(6), 809; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17060809 - 19 Mar 2025
Viewed by 281
Abstract
The preference and demand for low-fat diets have increased due to their health benefits. This study aimed to develop a thermally stable water-in-oil (W/O) emulsion. The addition of 3.75 wt% of polysaccharide colloids, including curdlan gum (CG), kappa-carrageenan (kC), gellan gum (GEG), guar [...] Read more.
The preference and demand for low-fat diets have increased due to their health benefits. This study aimed to develop a thermally stable water-in-oil (W/O) emulsion. The addition of 3.75 wt% of polysaccharide colloids, including curdlan gum (CG), kappa-carrageenan (kC), gellan gum (GEG), guar gum (GUG), high-ester pectin (HEP), and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), to the aqueous phase resulted in the formation of a gel structure within it. Furthermore, these polysaccharide colloids reduced the excessive mobility of water droplets under high-temperature conditions. The oil phase consisted of anhydrous butter and a lipophilic nonionic surfactant. The emulsion was subjected to a heat treatment at 95 °C for 30 min, and the emulsions before and after the heat treatment were characterized. The results showed that among the above colloidal emulsions, the 3.75 wt% CG emulsion did not show significant changes in viscosity, stability index, mean particle size, friction coefficient, and encapsulation efficiency before and after heat treatment. The 3.75 wt% CG colloid showed the most significant enhancement in the thermal stability of W/O emulsions. This study proposes a novel fat-replacement strategy for products requiring high-temperature processing, such as processed cheese. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Polysaccharide: Synthesis, Modification and Application (2nd Edition))
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26 pages, 5383 KiB  
Article
Characterization and Emulsifying Ability of Cassava Peels Solubilized Using Hydrothermal Treatments
by Jane Chizie Ogbonna, Mitsutoshi Nakajima and Marcos Antonio das Neves
Polymers 2025, 17(4), 496; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17040496 - 13 Feb 2025
Viewed by 927
Abstract
Cassava peels are rich in polysaccharides but highly unexplored and underutilized, as they could be used to meet the increasing demand for clean-label foods. This study investigated the effect of temperature on the solubilization of cassava peel during hydrothermal treatment to determine the [...] Read more.
Cassava peels are rich in polysaccharides but highly unexplored and underutilized, as they could be used to meet the increasing demand for clean-label foods. This study investigated the effect of temperature on the solubilization of cassava peel during hydrothermal treatment to determine the emulsifying ability of solubilized cassava peel (SCP). Subcritical water conditions were employed via hydrothermal (120–200 °C; 2 MPa) or autoclave (127 °C; 0.2 MPa) treatments to solubilize cassava peels. The composition of the SCPs was determined, and their emulsifying ability was assessed using interfacial tension and zeta potential measurements. Under the best treatment conditions (140 °C at 2 MPa [hydrothermal]; 127 °C at 0.2 MPa [autoclave]), SCPs reduced interfacial tension against soybean oil to 12.9 mN/m and 13.4 mN/m, respectively. A strengthened co-emulsifier system was developed by incorporating SCPs with Quillaja saponins (QS) or Tween 20 to enhance the performance. Dynamic interfacial tension and zeta potential measurements revealed synergistic interactions, showing a remarkable reduction in interfacial tension from 12.94 to 5.33 mN/m. This suggests that the SCP has a surfactant-like structure owing to its amphiphilic structure and hydrophobic chains (nonpolar region) attached to the -OH functional group (polar region). Combining a second surface-active compound or co-emulsifier results in an additive effect, reducing the interfacial tension. These findings provide novel insights into carbohydrate-saponin binding and elucidate the impact of peel composition, concentration, and hydrothermal treatment conditions on co-emulsifier system performance, which will assist in the development of emulsifiers, contributing to the advancement of clean-label food technologies, effectively replacing synthetic emulsifiers in food formulations, and offering both sustainability and functionality. A systematic investigation of processing conditions and co-emulsifier interactions provides a practical framework for developing high-performance natural emulsifiers from agricultural waste. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Polysaccharide: Synthesis, Modification and Application (2nd Edition))
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16 pages, 5476 KiB  
Article
Enhancing Chitosan Fibers: A Dual Approach with Tripolyphosphate and Ursolic Acid
by César I. Hernández Vázquez, Zbigniew Draczyński, Dominik Borkowski and Dorota Kaźmierczak
Polymers 2024, 16(4), 461; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16040461 - 7 Feb 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1773
Abstract
Chitosan, a well-established biomaterial known for its biocompatibility, biodegradability, and bioactivity, has been the focus of extensive research in recent years. This study explores the enhancement of chitosan fibers’ properties through wet impregnation with either ursolic acid (UA) or cross-linking with tripolyphosphate (TPP). [...] Read more.
Chitosan, a well-established biomaterial known for its biocompatibility, biodegradability, and bioactivity, has been the focus of extensive research in recent years. This study explores the enhancement of chitosan fibers’ properties through wet impregnation with either ursolic acid (UA) or cross-linking with tripolyphosphate (TPP). In the first experiment, chitosan fibers were treated with UA, for varying immersion set points (1, 2, 4, 6, and 8 h). FTIR, SEM, and UV-Vis spectroscopy analyses demonstrated a chemical reaction between chitosan and UA, with stability reached after 2 h of immersion. Antibacterial testing revealed that chitosan fibers impregnated with UA exhibited significant antibacterial activity against Gram-positive bacteria, notably Staphylococcus aureus. The second experiment involved modifying chitosan fibers’ surfaces with a 1% w/v TPP solution for the same periods of time (1, 2, 4, 6, and 8 h). Subsequently, the investigation involved FTIR, SEM, and dynamometry analyses, which revealed successful cross-linking between chitosan and TPP ions, resulting in improved tensile strength after 2 h of immersion. This dual-approach study highlights the potential of chitosan fibers for diverse applications, from wound-healing dressings to antibacterial materials against Gram-positive bacteria. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Polysaccharide: Synthesis, Modification and Application (2nd Edition))
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