Given the natural origins of flavylium derivatives, their chemical modifications, and their large potential uses in food, medicine, or green chemistry, the present review is a comprehensive study of flavylium-derived compounds. Several topics such as the green extraction and isolation techniques of flavylium derivatives including their chemical modifications and various characterization tools such as NMR, HPLC, and mass spectrometry are discussed in the review. Furthermore, the use of these derivatives in medicine, food, and materials science is presented, highlighting their relevance and the need for further investigation. Therefore, by examining the advantages and disadvantages of natural and synthetic sources, the review asserts the increased relevance of flavylium-based compounds in active molecules.

The use of vegetable oils and their derivatives for polymer synthesis has been a major focus in recent years due to their universal availability, low production costs and biodegradability. In this study, the enzymatic synthesis of oligoesters of ricinoleic acid obtained from castor oil combined with three aromatic natural derivatives (cinnamyl alcohol, sinapic acid, and caffeic acid) was investigated. The formation of the reaction products was demonstrated by FT-IR, MALDI-TOF MS and NMR spectroscopy and for the oligo (ricinoleyl)-caffeate the thermal properties and biodegradability in sweet water were analyzed and a rheological characterization was performed. The successful enzymatic synthesis of oligoesters from ricinoleic acid and aromatic monomers using lipases not only highlights the potential of biocatalysis in green chemistry but also contributes to the development of sustainable and biodegradable methods for synthesizing products with potential applications as cosmetic ingredients.

The rapid development of biodegradable polymers has intensified the need for reliable, standardized methodologies that can accurately assess their environmental fate. However, biodegradability is not an intrinsic property of materials, but rather the result of complex interactions between polymer chemistry, physicochemical characteristics, environmental conditions, and microbial activity. Consequently, biodegradation performance determined under one set of conditions cannot be directly extrapolated to other environments, highlighting the importance of selecting appropriate testing methodologies. This review provides a comprehensive and critical evaluation of the main international standards used to assess polymer biodegradability, including ISO, ASTM, EN, and OECD methods applicable to soil, industrial composting, freshwater, and marine environments. It discusses the fundamental mechanisms of polymer biodegradation, together with the major factors governing degradation kinetics, and comparatively analyzes the biodegradation behavior of polyesters, polysaccharides, polyamides, and polyesteramides across different environmental compartments. Unlike previous reviews, this work critically compares the applicability, strengths, limitations, and biodegradation endpoints of standardized methodologies, identifies current methodological gaps, and proposes a practical decision-making framework for selecting appropriate tests according to the intended end-of-life scenario of polymeric materials. Finally, it highlights the need for more harmonized and environmentally relevant testing approaches to better distinguish compostability from true environmental biodegradability.