Now a days, polylactic acid (PLA) and its derivatives are receiving significant attention due to ... more Now a days, polylactic acid (PLA) and its derivatives are receiving significant attention due to its versatile applications. The present study provides a deep insight on major structural and functional properties of novel PLA-HA polymer synthesized by incorporating humic acid (HA) in PLA. Topographical features of both pure and modified PLA have been studied using SEM and AFM to analyze their comparative surface microstructures. Incorporation of HA was found to enhance slightly the thermal stability profile of the polymer. However, reduction of T g , T m and degree of crystallinity has also been noticed, which in turn resulted in enhanced ductility and higher elongation at break. Moreover, improvement in radical scavenging properties, total available phenolics (0.075 lmole GAE/g film) and water absorption capacity (90.65%) has been observed which essentially suggested introduction as well as enhancement of several utility features, originally absent in pure PLA. The study thus predicts multifaceted applications of PLA-HA polymer, from industrial packaging to fabrication of biomedical devices depending on its superior characteristics as compared to pure PLA.
BACKGROUND: A major bottleneck in microalgal biodiesel production is lipid content, which is ofte... more BACKGROUND: A major bottleneck in microalgal biodiesel production is lipid content, which is often low in microalgal species. The present study examines Chlorella vulgaris as a potential feedstock for biodiesel by identifying and evaluating the relationships between the critical variables that enhance the lipid yield, and characterizes the biodiesel produced for various properties. RESULTS: Factors affecting lipid accumulation in a green microalga, Chlorella vulgaris were examined. Multifactor optimization raised the lipid pool to55%dry cell weight against9%control.WhenC. vulgaris cells pre-grown in glucose (0.7%)-supplemented medium were transferred to the optimized condition at the second stage, the lipid yield was boosted to 1974 mg L−1, a value almost 20-fold higher than for the control. The transesterified C. vulgaris oil showed the presence of∼82% saturated fatty acids, with palmitate and stearate as major components, thus highlighting the oxidative stability of C. vulgaris biodiesel. The fuel properties (density, viscosity, acid value, iodine value, calorific value, cetane index, ash and water contents) are comparable with the international (ASTM and EN) and Indian (IS) biodiesel standards. CONCLUSION: C. vulgaris biomass with 55% lipid content and adequate fuel properties is potentially a renewable feedstock for biodiesel.
Vegetable wastes occur throughout the supply chain and vary widely depending on its processing. G... more Vegetable wastes occur throughout the supply chain and vary widely depending on its processing. Globally, more than 30 % of the loss occurs at the retail and consumer levels, of which the post-harvest and processing level wastages account for the major share. The wastes so generated pose an environmental threat and call for the development of a pollution-free model. Studies on the characterization of unutilized, rotten, and discarded fractions of the vegetable wastes indicate their potential candidature for reprocessing. Generation of renewable energy by bioconversion of vegetable wastes is gaining importance as it has proved to be a proficient means of utilizing the perishable vegetable residues. Researchers and industries are now fully engaged in a number of projects involving the technology of ‘‘waste to fuel’’ with a view to overcome the disposal problems. The present article deals with the studies conducted on vegetable wastes for production of various types of biofuel.
The intensification of consumer demand for healthy diet has opened multiple resources for
food pr... more The intensification of consumer demand for healthy diet has opened multiple resources for food processing industries. Vegetable industries are coming up with innovative products as vegetables are common choice of major portion of world population. During vegetable processing, unused residues and effluents come out as waste. Due to high moisture content of these biological wastes, there is rapid decomposition resulting in foul odour and dispersal of pathogens. Many strategies were approached towards the zero waste concept and aimed for waste minimization to its reusability. Process designing on zero waste concept has given a new turn to industries to meet the need of the consumers with no longer waste generation. Zero waste approach has integrated the waste of one operation to be the resource/raw material for another. Application of fermentation techniques to waste reusability have been an ecofriendly and economically feasible process for bioconversion of the waste to valuable products
Lactic acid, a biologically derived compound,
exists ubiquitously in nature. Its existence ranges... more Lactic acid, a biologically derived compound, exists ubiquitously in nature. Its existence ranges from human being to microorganisms. Having paramount industrial significance, lactic acid should be highly pure, devoid of any contaminants. Hence, development of minimum steps of platform technologies to purify it needs urgent attention. The article proposed a novel and simple process for separation of lactic acid from a potential substrate Zizyphus oenophlia, based on ion exchange chromatography. The process herein involves two steps of purification; firstly a weak anion exchange resin was used to separate lactic acid from other anions present in the broth. This was followed by use of strong cation exchanger which washes out the target molecule (lactic acid) while trapped other cations present in the solution. The selected ion exchangers were Amberlite IRA 96 and Amberlite IR 120. Amberlite IRA 96 retained the lactic acid from the broth while washing away other anions. Maximum binding capacity of the resin was found to 210.46 mg lactic acid/g bead. After the simple two-step purification process, the purity of lactic acid improves up to 99.17 % with a recovery yield of 98.9 %. Upon characterization, formation of only levo rotatory form of lactic acid confirms its easy metabolism by the human system, thus triggering its application towards biomaterial sector.
Now a days, polylactic acid (PLA) and its derivatives are receiving significant attention due to ... more Now a days, polylactic acid (PLA) and its derivatives are receiving significant attention due to its
versatile applications. The present study provides a deep insight on major structural and
functional properties of novel PLA-HA polymer synthesized by incorporating humic acid (HA)
in PLA. Topographical features of both pure and modified PLA have been studied using SEM
and AFM to analyze their comparative surface microstructures. Incorporation of HA was found
to enhance slightly the thermal stability profile of the polymer. However, reduction of Tg, Tm and
degree of crystallinity has also been noticed, which in turn resulted in enhanced ductility and
higher elongation at break. Moreover, improvement in radical scavenging properties, total
available phenolics (0.075 μmole GAE/g film) and water absorption capacity (90.65%) has been
observed which essentially suggested introduction as well as enhancement of several utility
features, originally absent in pure PLA. The study thus predicts multifaceted applications of
PLA-HA polymer, from industrial packaging to fabrication of biomedical devices depending on
its superior characteristics as compared to pure PLA.
The present study involves synthesis of polylactic
acid (PLA) using purified lactic acid from fe... more The present study involves synthesis of polylactic
acid (PLA) using purified lactic acid from fermented broth
of Jackal jujube (Zizyphus oenophlia). A polyphenolic
compound, humic acid (HA) of biological origin was
incorporated to the PLA in order to reinforce the PLA
chain without compromising its biodegradability and biocompatibility.
Under optimized conditions of polymerization,
modified L-PLA yield improved up to 93%. The molecular
weight was found to be 6.4×105. Different physicochemical
properties of the polymer were explored for its further
application in different fields. Incorporation of intermolecular
bond between PLA and HA was confirmed by FT-IR
spectroscopy technique. Addition of HA not only reduced
the crystallinity of PLA, but also had increased flexibility
and elasticity to much greater extent. The results showed
that, apart from enhancing the physicochemical properties
of PLA, the process also had reduced the production cost
of the polymer, while mitigating the demands of
environmental protection agencies.
The objective of the present investigation deals with optimization of L-lactic acid production fr... more The objective of the present investigation deals with optimization of L-lactic acid production from Zizyphus
oenophlia, a potential low cost substrate. Central composite design (CCD) based on response surface
methodology (RSM) was employed as a statistical tool to investigate the effect of substrate: media ratio,
temperature, pH and inoculum volume on lactic acid production. Under optimum condition, the experimental
yield was 95.09%, which matched well with the predictive yield of 95.45%. HPLC and circular
dichroism (CD) analysis of the fermented product was carried out to confirm the presence of lactic acid
in its L (+) seriospecificity respectively. For application of lactic acid in biotechnological sector polymerization
studies were carried out. The PLA upon recovery through direct polycondensation reaction
resulted in the yield of 85%.
Now a days, polylactic acid (PLA) and its derivatives are receiving significant attention due to ... more Now a days, polylactic acid (PLA) and its derivatives are receiving significant attention due to its versatile applications. The present study provides a deep insight on major structural and functional properties of novel PLA-HA polymer synthesized by incorporating humic acid (HA) in PLA. Topographical features of both pure and modified PLA have been studied using SEM and AFM to analyze their comparative surface microstructures. Incorporation of HA was found to enhance slightly the thermal stability profile of the polymer. However, reduction of T g , T m and degree of crystallinity has also been noticed, which in turn resulted in enhanced ductility and higher elongation at break. Moreover, improvement in radical scavenging properties, total available phenolics (0.075 lmole GAE/g film) and water absorption capacity (90.65%) has been observed which essentially suggested introduction as well as enhancement of several utility features, originally absent in pure PLA. The study thus predicts multifaceted applications of PLA-HA polymer, from industrial packaging to fabrication of biomedical devices depending on its superior characteristics as compared to pure PLA.
BACKGROUND: A major bottleneck in microalgal biodiesel production is lipid content, which is ofte... more BACKGROUND: A major bottleneck in microalgal biodiesel production is lipid content, which is often low in microalgal species. The present study examines Chlorella vulgaris as a potential feedstock for biodiesel by identifying and evaluating the relationships between the critical variables that enhance the lipid yield, and characterizes the biodiesel produced for various properties. RESULTS: Factors affecting lipid accumulation in a green microalga, Chlorella vulgaris were examined. Multifactor optimization raised the lipid pool to55%dry cell weight against9%control.WhenC. vulgaris cells pre-grown in glucose (0.7%)-supplemented medium were transferred to the optimized condition at the second stage, the lipid yield was boosted to 1974 mg L−1, a value almost 20-fold higher than for the control. The transesterified C. vulgaris oil showed the presence of∼82% saturated fatty acids, with palmitate and stearate as major components, thus highlighting the oxidative stability of C. vulgaris biodiesel. The fuel properties (density, viscosity, acid value, iodine value, calorific value, cetane index, ash and water contents) are comparable with the international (ASTM and EN) and Indian (IS) biodiesel standards. CONCLUSION: C. vulgaris biomass with 55% lipid content and adequate fuel properties is potentially a renewable feedstock for biodiesel.
Vegetable wastes occur throughout the supply chain and vary widely depending on its processing. G... more Vegetable wastes occur throughout the supply chain and vary widely depending on its processing. Globally, more than 30 % of the loss occurs at the retail and consumer levels, of which the post-harvest and processing level wastages account for the major share. The wastes so generated pose an environmental threat and call for the development of a pollution-free model. Studies on the characterization of unutilized, rotten, and discarded fractions of the vegetable wastes indicate their potential candidature for reprocessing. Generation of renewable energy by bioconversion of vegetable wastes is gaining importance as it has proved to be a proficient means of utilizing the perishable vegetable residues. Researchers and industries are now fully engaged in a number of projects involving the technology of ‘‘waste to fuel’’ with a view to overcome the disposal problems. The present article deals with the studies conducted on vegetable wastes for production of various types of biofuel.
The intensification of consumer demand for healthy diet has opened multiple resources for
food pr... more The intensification of consumer demand for healthy diet has opened multiple resources for food processing industries. Vegetable industries are coming up with innovative products as vegetables are common choice of major portion of world population. During vegetable processing, unused residues and effluents come out as waste. Due to high moisture content of these biological wastes, there is rapid decomposition resulting in foul odour and dispersal of pathogens. Many strategies were approached towards the zero waste concept and aimed for waste minimization to its reusability. Process designing on zero waste concept has given a new turn to industries to meet the need of the consumers with no longer waste generation. Zero waste approach has integrated the waste of one operation to be the resource/raw material for another. Application of fermentation techniques to waste reusability have been an ecofriendly and economically feasible process for bioconversion of the waste to valuable products
Lactic acid, a biologically derived compound,
exists ubiquitously in nature. Its existence ranges... more Lactic acid, a biologically derived compound, exists ubiquitously in nature. Its existence ranges from human being to microorganisms. Having paramount industrial significance, lactic acid should be highly pure, devoid of any contaminants. Hence, development of minimum steps of platform technologies to purify it needs urgent attention. The article proposed a novel and simple process for separation of lactic acid from a potential substrate Zizyphus oenophlia, based on ion exchange chromatography. The process herein involves two steps of purification; firstly a weak anion exchange resin was used to separate lactic acid from other anions present in the broth. This was followed by use of strong cation exchanger which washes out the target molecule (lactic acid) while trapped other cations present in the solution. The selected ion exchangers were Amberlite IRA 96 and Amberlite IR 120. Amberlite IRA 96 retained the lactic acid from the broth while washing away other anions. Maximum binding capacity of the resin was found to 210.46 mg lactic acid/g bead. After the simple two-step purification process, the purity of lactic acid improves up to 99.17 % with a recovery yield of 98.9 %. Upon characterization, formation of only levo rotatory form of lactic acid confirms its easy metabolism by the human system, thus triggering its application towards biomaterial sector.
Now a days, polylactic acid (PLA) and its derivatives are receiving significant attention due to ... more Now a days, polylactic acid (PLA) and its derivatives are receiving significant attention due to its
versatile applications. The present study provides a deep insight on major structural and
functional properties of novel PLA-HA polymer synthesized by incorporating humic acid (HA)
in PLA. Topographical features of both pure and modified PLA have been studied using SEM
and AFM to analyze their comparative surface microstructures. Incorporation of HA was found
to enhance slightly the thermal stability profile of the polymer. However, reduction of Tg, Tm and
degree of crystallinity has also been noticed, which in turn resulted in enhanced ductility and
higher elongation at break. Moreover, improvement in radical scavenging properties, total
available phenolics (0.075 μmole GAE/g film) and water absorption capacity (90.65%) has been
observed which essentially suggested introduction as well as enhancement of several utility
features, originally absent in pure PLA. The study thus predicts multifaceted applications of
PLA-HA polymer, from industrial packaging to fabrication of biomedical devices depending on
its superior characteristics as compared to pure PLA.
The present study involves synthesis of polylactic
acid (PLA) using purified lactic acid from fe... more The present study involves synthesis of polylactic
acid (PLA) using purified lactic acid from fermented broth
of Jackal jujube (Zizyphus oenophlia). A polyphenolic
compound, humic acid (HA) of biological origin was
incorporated to the PLA in order to reinforce the PLA
chain without compromising its biodegradability and biocompatibility.
Under optimized conditions of polymerization,
modified L-PLA yield improved up to 93%. The molecular
weight was found to be 6.4×105. Different physicochemical
properties of the polymer were explored for its further
application in different fields. Incorporation of intermolecular
bond between PLA and HA was confirmed by FT-IR
spectroscopy technique. Addition of HA not only reduced
the crystallinity of PLA, but also had increased flexibility
and elasticity to much greater extent. The results showed
that, apart from enhancing the physicochemical properties
of PLA, the process also had reduced the production cost
of the polymer, while mitigating the demands of
environmental protection agencies.
The objective of the present investigation deals with optimization of L-lactic acid production fr... more The objective of the present investigation deals with optimization of L-lactic acid production from Zizyphus
oenophlia, a potential low cost substrate. Central composite design (CCD) based on response surface
methodology (RSM) was employed as a statistical tool to investigate the effect of substrate: media ratio,
temperature, pH and inoculum volume on lactic acid production. Under optimum condition, the experimental
yield was 95.09%, which matched well with the predictive yield of 95.45%. HPLC and circular
dichroism (CD) analysis of the fermented product was carried out to confirm the presence of lactic acid
in its L (+) seriospecificity respectively. For application of lactic acid in biotechnological sector polymerization
studies were carried out. The PLA upon recovery through direct polycondensation reaction
resulted in the yield of 85%.
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Papers by MOUMITA BISHAI
species. The present study examines Chlorella vulgaris as a potential feedstock for biodiesel by identifying and evaluating the
relationships between the critical variables that enhance the lipid yield, and characterizes the biodiesel produced for various
properties.
RESULTS: Factors affecting lipid accumulation in a green microalga, Chlorella vulgaris were examined. Multifactor optimization
raised the lipid pool to55%dry cell weight against9%control.WhenC. vulgaris cells pre-grown in glucose (0.7%)-supplemented
medium were transferred to the optimized condition at the second stage, the lipid yield was boosted to 1974 mg L−1, a value
almost 20-fold higher than for the control. The transesterified C. vulgaris oil showed the presence of∼82% saturated fatty acids,
with palmitate and stearate as major components, thus highlighting the oxidative stability of C. vulgaris biodiesel. The fuel
properties (density, viscosity, acid value, iodine value, calorific value, cetane index, ash and water contents) are comparable
with the international (ASTM and EN) and Indian (IS) biodiesel standards.
CONCLUSION: C. vulgaris biomass with 55% lipid content and adequate fuel properties is potentially a renewable feedstock for
biodiesel.
more than 30 % of the loss occurs at the retail and consumer levels, of which the post-harvest and processing level
wastages account for the major share. The wastes so generated pose an environmental threat and call for the development
of a pollution-free model. Studies on the characterization of unutilized, rotten, and discarded fractions of the vegetable
wastes indicate their potential candidature for reprocessing. Generation of renewable energy by bioconversion of vegetable
wastes is gaining importance as it has proved to be a proficient means of utilizing the perishable vegetable residues.
Researchers and industries are now fully engaged in a number of projects involving the technology of ‘‘waste to fuel’’ with
a view to overcome the disposal problems. The present article deals with the studies conducted on vegetable wastes for
production of various types of biofuel.
food processing industries. Vegetable industries are coming up with innovative products as vegetables
are common choice of major portion of world population. During vegetable processing, unused residues
and effluents come out as waste. Due to high moisture content of these biological wastes, there is rapid
decomposition resulting in foul odour and dispersal of pathogens. Many strategies were approached
towards the zero waste concept and aimed for waste minimization to its reusability. Process designing on
zero waste concept has given a new turn to industries to meet the need of the consumers with no longer
waste generation. Zero waste approach has integrated the waste of one operation to be the resource/raw
material for another. Application of fermentation techniques to waste reusability have been an ecofriendly
and economically feasible process for bioconversion of the waste to valuable products
exists ubiquitously in nature. Its existence ranges from
human being to microorganisms. Having paramount
industrial significance, lactic acid should be highly pure,
devoid of any contaminants. Hence, development of minimum
steps of platform technologies to purify it needs
urgent attention. The article proposed a novel and simple
process for separation of lactic acid from a potential substrate
Zizyphus oenophlia, based on ion exchange chromatography.
The process herein involves two steps of
purification; firstly a weak anion exchange resin was used
to separate lactic acid from other anions present in the
broth. This was followed by use of strong cation exchanger
which washes out the target molecule (lactic acid) while
trapped other cations present in the solution. The selected
ion exchangers were Amberlite IRA 96 and Amberlite IR
120. Amberlite IRA 96 retained the lactic acid from the
broth while washing away other anions. Maximum binding
capacity of the resin was found to 210.46 mg lactic acid/g
bead. After the simple two-step purification process, the
purity of lactic acid improves up to 99.17 % with a
recovery yield of 98.9 %. Upon characterization, formation
of only levo rotatory form of lactic acid confirms its easy
metabolism by the human system, thus triggering its
application towards biomaterial sector.
versatile applications. The present study provides a deep insight on major structural and
functional properties of novel PLA-HA polymer synthesized by incorporating humic acid (HA)
in PLA. Topographical features of both pure and modified PLA have been studied using SEM
and AFM to analyze their comparative surface microstructures. Incorporation of HA was found
to enhance slightly the thermal stability profile of the polymer. However, reduction of Tg, Tm and
degree of crystallinity has also been noticed, which in turn resulted in enhanced ductility and
higher elongation at break. Moreover, improvement in radical scavenging properties, total
available phenolics (0.075 μmole GAE/g film) and water absorption capacity (90.65%) has been
observed which essentially suggested introduction as well as enhancement of several utility
features, originally absent in pure PLA. The study thus predicts multifaceted applications of
PLA-HA polymer, from industrial packaging to fabrication of biomedical devices depending on
its superior characteristics as compared to pure PLA.
acid (PLA) using purified lactic acid from fermented broth
of Jackal jujube (Zizyphus oenophlia). A polyphenolic
compound, humic acid (HA) of biological origin was
incorporated to the PLA in order to reinforce the PLA
chain without compromising its biodegradability and biocompatibility.
Under optimized conditions of polymerization,
modified L-PLA yield improved up to 93%. The molecular
weight was found to be 6.4×105. Different physicochemical
properties of the polymer were explored for its further
application in different fields. Incorporation of intermolecular
bond between PLA and HA was confirmed by FT-IR
spectroscopy technique. Addition of HA not only reduced
the crystallinity of PLA, but also had increased flexibility
and elasticity to much greater extent. The results showed
that, apart from enhancing the physicochemical properties
of PLA, the process also had reduced the production cost
of the polymer, while mitigating the demands of
environmental protection agencies.
oenophlia, a potential low cost substrate. Central composite design (CCD) based on response surface
methodology (RSM) was employed as a statistical tool to investigate the effect of substrate: media ratio,
temperature, pH and inoculum volume on lactic acid production. Under optimum condition, the experimental
yield was 95.09%, which matched well with the predictive yield of 95.45%. HPLC and circular
dichroism (CD) analysis of the fermented product was carried out to confirm the presence of lactic acid
in its L (+) seriospecificity respectively. For application of lactic acid in biotechnological sector polymerization
studies were carried out. The PLA upon recovery through direct polycondensation reaction
resulted in the yield of 85%.
species. The present study examines Chlorella vulgaris as a potential feedstock for biodiesel by identifying and evaluating the
relationships between the critical variables that enhance the lipid yield, and characterizes the biodiesel produced for various
properties.
RESULTS: Factors affecting lipid accumulation in a green microalga, Chlorella vulgaris were examined. Multifactor optimization
raised the lipid pool to55%dry cell weight against9%control.WhenC. vulgaris cells pre-grown in glucose (0.7%)-supplemented
medium were transferred to the optimized condition at the second stage, the lipid yield was boosted to 1974 mg L−1, a value
almost 20-fold higher than for the control. The transesterified C. vulgaris oil showed the presence of∼82% saturated fatty acids,
with palmitate and stearate as major components, thus highlighting the oxidative stability of C. vulgaris biodiesel. The fuel
properties (density, viscosity, acid value, iodine value, calorific value, cetane index, ash and water contents) are comparable
with the international (ASTM and EN) and Indian (IS) biodiesel standards.
CONCLUSION: C. vulgaris biomass with 55% lipid content and adequate fuel properties is potentially a renewable feedstock for
biodiesel.
more than 30 % of the loss occurs at the retail and consumer levels, of which the post-harvest and processing level
wastages account for the major share. The wastes so generated pose an environmental threat and call for the development
of a pollution-free model. Studies on the characterization of unutilized, rotten, and discarded fractions of the vegetable
wastes indicate their potential candidature for reprocessing. Generation of renewable energy by bioconversion of vegetable
wastes is gaining importance as it has proved to be a proficient means of utilizing the perishable vegetable residues.
Researchers and industries are now fully engaged in a number of projects involving the technology of ‘‘waste to fuel’’ with
a view to overcome the disposal problems. The present article deals with the studies conducted on vegetable wastes for
production of various types of biofuel.
food processing industries. Vegetable industries are coming up with innovative products as vegetables
are common choice of major portion of world population. During vegetable processing, unused residues
and effluents come out as waste. Due to high moisture content of these biological wastes, there is rapid
decomposition resulting in foul odour and dispersal of pathogens. Many strategies were approached
towards the zero waste concept and aimed for waste minimization to its reusability. Process designing on
zero waste concept has given a new turn to industries to meet the need of the consumers with no longer
waste generation. Zero waste approach has integrated the waste of one operation to be the resource/raw
material for another. Application of fermentation techniques to waste reusability have been an ecofriendly
and economically feasible process for bioconversion of the waste to valuable products
exists ubiquitously in nature. Its existence ranges from
human being to microorganisms. Having paramount
industrial significance, lactic acid should be highly pure,
devoid of any contaminants. Hence, development of minimum
steps of platform technologies to purify it needs
urgent attention. The article proposed a novel and simple
process for separation of lactic acid from a potential substrate
Zizyphus oenophlia, based on ion exchange chromatography.
The process herein involves two steps of
purification; firstly a weak anion exchange resin was used
to separate lactic acid from other anions present in the
broth. This was followed by use of strong cation exchanger
which washes out the target molecule (lactic acid) while
trapped other cations present in the solution. The selected
ion exchangers were Amberlite IRA 96 and Amberlite IR
120. Amberlite IRA 96 retained the lactic acid from the
broth while washing away other anions. Maximum binding
capacity of the resin was found to 210.46 mg lactic acid/g
bead. After the simple two-step purification process, the
purity of lactic acid improves up to 99.17 % with a
recovery yield of 98.9 %. Upon characterization, formation
of only levo rotatory form of lactic acid confirms its easy
metabolism by the human system, thus triggering its
application towards biomaterial sector.
versatile applications. The present study provides a deep insight on major structural and
functional properties of novel PLA-HA polymer synthesized by incorporating humic acid (HA)
in PLA. Topographical features of both pure and modified PLA have been studied using SEM
and AFM to analyze their comparative surface microstructures. Incorporation of HA was found
to enhance slightly the thermal stability profile of the polymer. However, reduction of Tg, Tm and
degree of crystallinity has also been noticed, which in turn resulted in enhanced ductility and
higher elongation at break. Moreover, improvement in radical scavenging properties, total
available phenolics (0.075 μmole GAE/g film) and water absorption capacity (90.65%) has been
observed which essentially suggested introduction as well as enhancement of several utility
features, originally absent in pure PLA. The study thus predicts multifaceted applications of
PLA-HA polymer, from industrial packaging to fabrication of biomedical devices depending on
its superior characteristics as compared to pure PLA.
acid (PLA) using purified lactic acid from fermented broth
of Jackal jujube (Zizyphus oenophlia). A polyphenolic
compound, humic acid (HA) of biological origin was
incorporated to the PLA in order to reinforce the PLA
chain without compromising its biodegradability and biocompatibility.
Under optimized conditions of polymerization,
modified L-PLA yield improved up to 93%. The molecular
weight was found to be 6.4×105. Different physicochemical
properties of the polymer were explored for its further
application in different fields. Incorporation of intermolecular
bond between PLA and HA was confirmed by FT-IR
spectroscopy technique. Addition of HA not only reduced
the crystallinity of PLA, but also had increased flexibility
and elasticity to much greater extent. The results showed
that, apart from enhancing the physicochemical properties
of PLA, the process also had reduced the production cost
of the polymer, while mitigating the demands of
environmental protection agencies.
oenophlia, a potential low cost substrate. Central composite design (CCD) based on response surface
methodology (RSM) was employed as a statistical tool to investigate the effect of substrate: media ratio,
temperature, pH and inoculum volume on lactic acid production. Under optimum condition, the experimental
yield was 95.09%, which matched well with the predictive yield of 95.45%. HPLC and circular
dichroism (CD) analysis of the fermented product was carried out to confirm the presence of lactic acid
in its L (+) seriospecificity respectively. For application of lactic acid in biotechnological sector polymerization
studies were carried out. The PLA upon recovery through direct polycondensation reaction
resulted in the yield of 85%.