Rice straw-derived chitosan-enhanced plasticizers as biologically and environmentally friendly alternatives for sustainable materials

Shih-Chen Shi; Fu-I Lu; Chia-Yih Wang; Yan-Ting Chen; Kah-Wei Tee; Ruei-Ci Lin; Hui-Ling Tsai; Dieter Rahmadiawan

doi:10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.130547

Rice straw-derived chitosan-enhanced plasticizers as biologically and environmentally friendly alternatives for sustainable materials

Int J Biol Macromol. 2024 Apr;264(Pt 1):130547. doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.130547. Epub 2024 Feb 29.

Authors

Shih-Chen Shi¹, Fu-I Lu², Chia-Yih Wang³, Yan-Ting Chen⁴, Kah-Wei Tee⁵, Ruei-Ci Lin⁶, Hui-Ling Tsai⁷, Dieter Rahmadiawan⁸

Affiliations

¹ Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University (NCKU), Tainan 70101, Taiwan. Electronic address: scshi@mail.ncku.edu.tw.
² Department of Biotechnology and Bioindustry Sciences, College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan; The iEGG and Animal Biotechnology Center, Rong Hsing Research Center for Translational Medicine, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan. Electronic address: fuliu@mail.ncku.edu.tw.
³ Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan; Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan. Electronic address: z10208014@ncku.edu.tw.
⁴ Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University (NCKU), Tainan 70101, Taiwan.
⁵ Department of Biotechnology and Bioindustry Sciences, College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan.
⁶ Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan.
⁷ Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan.
⁸ Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University (NCKU), Tainan 70101, Taiwan; Department of Mechanical Engineering, Universitas Negeri Padang, 25173 Padang, Sumatera Barat, Indonesia.

PMID: 38431012
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.130547

Abstract

Plasticizers like Bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) are commonly used to enhance plastic properties but pose environmental and health risks. This study successfully derived plasticizers X and Y from rice straws, demonstrating efficacy in chitosan polymer coatings. Chitosan-based polymers exhibit exceptional hardness, with a value of 300 MPa, due to their enriched structure and robust chitosan bonding. This surpasses the hardness of DEHP. Zebrafish exposure over 5 days revealed that X and Y had no significant behavioral impact, while DEHP caused noticeable toxic effects. Maternal DEHP exposure reduced placental cell growth, unlike X and Y, which had no adverse effects on uterine differentiation or placenta formation, suggesting their safety in human pregnancy. The successful development of X and Y represents a crucial step towards greener plasticizers, addressing environmental concerns and promoting safer alternatives in various industries.

Keywords: Chitosan; DEHP; Plasticizer; Rice straw; Toxicant antagonism.

MeSH terms

Animals
Chitosan*
Diethylhexyl Phthalate* / chemistry
Female
Humans
Oryza*
Placenta
Plasticizers / chemistry
Polymers
Pregnancy
Zebrafish

Substances

Plasticizers
Diethylhexyl Phthalate
Chitosan
Polymers