Because of the effort to preserve petroleum resources and promote the development of eco-friendly materials, bio-based polymers produced from sustainable resources have attracted great attention. Among them, polylactide (PLA) and natural rubber (NR) present prominent polymers with unique barrier and mechanical features. A series of samples with improved phase compatibility were obtained by blending PLA and NR using a double-rotor mixer. A plasticizing and enhancing effect on the polymers’ compatibility was achieved by using epoxidized soybean oil (ESO) as a natural plasticizer and compatibilizer. ESO compounding in the PLA-NR blends increased the mobility of the biopolymer’s molecular chains and improved the thermal stability of the novel material. The size of the NR domains embedded in the continuous PLA matrix decreased with the ESO content increment. The combination of thermal analysis and scanning electron microscopy enabled the authors to determine the features of potential packaging material and the optimal content of PLA-NR-ESO for the best mechanical properties.

Pectin hydrogel particles (PHPs) were prepared by ionotropic gelation of low methylesterified pectin of Tanacetum vulgare L. with calcium ions. Wet PHPs prepared from TVF exhibited a smaller diameter and the lower weight as well as exhibited the best textural properties in terms of hardness and elasticity compared to the PHPs prepared from commercial low methylesterified pectin (CU701) used for comparison. Upon air drying, PHPs prepared from CU701 became small and dense microspheres whereas the dry PHPs prepared from TVF exhibited a drop-like shape. The morphology of dry PHPs determined by scanning electron microscopy revealed that the surface of the TVF beads exhibited fibred structures, whereas the PHPs prepared from CU701 exhibited a smooth surface. The characterization of surface roughness using atomic force microscopy indicated less roughness profile of the PHPs prepared from TVF than CU701. PHPs prepared from TVF were found to possess in vitro resistance to successive incubations in simulated gastric (SGF), intestinal (SIF), and colonic fluid (SCF) at 37 °C for 2, 4 and 18 h, respectively. The PHPs prepared from CU701 swelled in SGF and then lost their spherical shape and were fully disintegrated after 4 h of incubation in SIF. The PHPs from TVF, which were subjected to treatment with SGF, SIF and SCF, were found to adsorb microbial β-glucuronidase (βG) in vitro. The data obtained offered the prospect for the development of the PHPs from TVF as sorbents of colonic βG for the inhibition of re-absorption of estrogens.

The academic exploration and technology design of active packaging are coherently supplying innovative approaches for enhancing the quality and safety of food, as well as prolonging their shelf-life. With the object of comparison between two barrier materials, such as stable petrochemical polyurethane (PU), (BASF), and biodegradable natural poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB), (Biomer Co., Krailling, Germany), the study of antibacterial agent release has been performed. For the characterization of polymer surface morphology and crystallinity, the scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were used respectively. The antimicrobial activity of chlorhexidine digluconate (CHD) has been estimated by the Bauer–Kirby Disk Diffusion Test. It was shown that the kinetic release profiles of CHD, as the active agent, in both polymers, significantly differed due to the superposition of diffusion and surface degradation in poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB). To emphasize the special transport phenomena in polymer packaging, the diffusivity modeling was performed and the CHD diffusion coefficients for the plane films of PU and PHB were further compared. The benefit of active biodegradable packaging on the base of PHB is discussed.

An injectable hydrogel was obtained from the high methyl-esterified plum Prunus domestica L. (PD) pectin and calcium ions (Ca²⁺). PD hydrogel showed a weak gel-like behavior and could be squeezed out of the syringe with an injection force of ca. 9 N. PD hydrogel was not suitable for the NIH/3T3 fibroblast cell adhesion in vitro. The live/dead fluorescence and MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assays indicated that the PD hydrogel had a low cytotoxicity in relation to both the adhered and gel surrounding fibroblasts. PD hydrogel was found to inhibit adhesion formation in the sidewall defect-cecum abrasion rat model. In the control group, the occurrence of adhesion of the cecum to the peritoneal wall was found in seven of the total seven rats operated. Only four of the seven animals that were treated with the PD hydrogel were noted to have any adhesions. These adhesions were of a minimum grade of 1, 2, and 3 and were represented by a thin film that could be easily broken. The protective effect of PD hydrogel was found to be comparable with that of hyaluronic acid hydrogel used as a positive control. PD hydrogel appeared to possess enhanced in vivo residence stability on the injury sites compared to hyaluronic acid hydrogel as measured by staining of healing tissue with periodic acid-Schiff reagent. The data obtained offered the prospect for the development of the pectin-based gels as new barrier materials for surgery.