Biodegradability of Novel Polylactide and Polycaprolactone Materials with Bacteriostatic Properties Due to Embedded Birch Tar in Different Environments

• Published in: International journal of molecular sciences Vol. 22; no. 19; p. 10228
• Main Authors: Richert, Agnieszka, Kalwasińska, Agnieszka, Brzezinska, Maria Swiontek, Dąbrowska, Grażyna B.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 23.09.2021; MDPI
• Subjects: alpha-Glucosidases - metabolism; Aminopeptidases - metabolism; Anti-Infective Agents - chemistry; Anti-Infective Agents - pharmacology; Bacteria - drug effects; Bacteria - enzymology; beta-Glucosidase - metabolism; Betula - chemistry; Betula - microbiology; Biodegradable materials; Biodegradable Plastics - chemistry; Biodegradable Plastics - pharmacology; Biodegradation; Biofilms; Biological Oxygen Demand Analysis; Distillation; Enzyme Assays; Enzymes; Esterases - metabolism; Lipase - metabolism; Microorganisms; Morphology; Organic chemicals; Plant Bark - chemistry; Plant Bark - microbiology; Polyesters - chemistry; Polyesters - metabolism; Polymers; Scanning electron microscopy; Tars - chemistry; Tars - pharmacology; biodegradable films; birch tar; polylactide; polycaprolactone; biofilm
• ISSN: 1422-0067; 1661-6596; 1422-0067
• DOI: 10.3390/ijms221910228

The microbial biodegradation of new PLA and PCL materials containing birch tar (1–10% v/v) was investigated. Product of dry distillation of birch bark (Betula pendula Roth) was added to polymeric materials to obtain films with antimicrobial properties. The subject of the study was the course of enzymatic degradation of a biodegradable polymer with antibacterial properties. The results show that the type of the material, tar concentration, and the environment influenced the hydrolytic activity of potential biofilm degraders. In the presence of PCL films, the enzyme activities were higher (except for α-D-glucosidase) compared to PLA films. The highest concentration of birch tar (10% v/v) decreased the activity of hydrolases produced by microorganisms to the most significant extent; however, SEM analysis showed the presence of a biofilm even on plastics with the highest tar content. Based on the results of the biological oxygen demand (BOD), the new materials can be classified as biodegradable but, the biodegradation process was less efficient when compared to plastics without the addition of birch tar.