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Review
. 2024 Oct 10;16(20):2854.
doi: 10.3390/polym16202854.

Microbial Polysaccharides as Functional Components of Packaging and Drug Delivery Applications

Aigerim Yermagambetova  1 , Sagdat Tazhibayeva  1 , Paul Takhistov  2 , Bakyt Tyussyupova  3 , José Agustín Tapia-Hernández  4 , Kuanyshbek Musabekov  3
Affiliations
Review

Microbial Polysaccharides as Functional Components of Packaging and Drug Delivery Applications

Aigerim Yermagambetova et al. Polymers (Basel). .

Abstract

This review examines microbial polysaccharides' properties relevant to their use in packaging and pharmaceutical applications. Microbial polysaccharides are produced by enzymes found in the cell walls of microbes. Xanthan gum, curdlan gum, pullulan, and bacterial cellulose are high-molecular-weight substances consisting of sugar residues linked by glycoside bonds. These polysaccharides have linear or highly branched molecular structures. Packaging based on microbial polysaccharides is readily biodegradable and can be considered as a renewable energy source with the potential to reduce environmental impact. In addition, microbial polysaccharides have antioxidant and prebiotic properties. The physico-chemical properties of microbial polysaccharide-based films, including tensile strength and elongation at break, are also evaluated. These materials' potential as multifunctional packaging solutions in the food industry is demonstrated. In addition, their possible use in medicine as a drug delivery system is also considered.

Keywords: antimicrobial activity; biodegradable packaging; drug delivery; microbial polysaccharides.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Tensile strength and elongation of break of xanthan gum films with added gelatin [104] and carboxymethyl cellulose [105].
Figure 2
Figure 2
Tensile strength and elongation of break pullulan with xanthan gum and nanoliposome [50,110,112].
Figure 3
Figure 3
Prebiotic activity score (PAS) of microbial polysaccharides Lactobacillus casei [132,133,134].
Figure 4
Figure 4
Prebiotic activity score (PAS) of microbial polysaccharides Lactobacillus rhamnosus [132,133,134].
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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