Production and characterization of seaweed-based bioplastics incorporated with chitin from ramshorn snails

Abstract

Petroleum-based plastics have been associated with several environmental issues, including land and water pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and waste accumulation due to their non-biodegradable properties. Bioplastics derived from renewable natural resources have emerged as an eco-friendly substitute for conventional plastics, leading to a reduced carbon footprint and conservation of non-renewable fossil fuels. Seaweed is an attractive material for bioplastic production due to its abundant polysaccharide content, high biomass, rapid growth rate and suitability for consumption. This work aimed to explore the feasibility of producing seaweed bioplastics, specifically starch and carrageenan from Kappaphycus alvarezii, along with chitin extracted from ramshorn snails (Planorbarius corneus). The surface morphology of the bioplastics was assessed through scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and their biodegradability was also examined through a soil burial biodegradation test. Starch-based bioplastics incorporated with carrageenan and chitin exhibited a more substantial network structure, rougher surface texture and smaller void sizes with improved mechanical strength and water barrier properties. The bioplastics underwent decomposition, resulting in fragmentation into small pieces (with more than 76% weight loss) or complete degradation through the enzymatic activity of Acinetobacter spp. and Burkholderia cepacia. Therefore, seaweed-chitin-based bioplastics demonstrate their potential as a sustainable and environmentally friendly alternative to conventional plastics.

Keywords

Bioplastics / Seaweed / Chitin / Carrageenan / Biodegradable plastics

References

[1] Wu Z, Shi W, Valencak TG, Zhang Y, Liu G, Ren D. Biodegradation of conventional plastics: Candidate organisms and potential mechanisms. Sci Total Environ, 2023, 885,

[2] Rai P, Mehrotra S, Priya S, Gnansounou E, Sharma SK. Recent advances in the sustainable design and applications of biodegradable polymers. Bioresour Technol, 2021, 325,

[3] Tian Y, Hu H, Chen C, Li F, Ying WB, Zheng L, et al.. Enhanced seawater degradation through copolymerization with diglycolic acid: Synthesis, microstructure, degradation mechanism and modification for antibacterial packaging. Chem Eng J, 2022, 447,

[4] Zaman A, Newman P. Plastics: are they part of the zero-waste agenda or the toxic-waste agenda?. Sustain Earth, 2021, 4(1): 4,

[5] Ford HV, Jones NH, Davies AJ, Godley BJ, Jambeck JR, Napper IE, et al.. The fundamental links between climate change and marine plastic pollution. Sci Total Environ, 2022, 806,

[6] Atiwesh G, Mikhael A, Parrish CC, Banoub J, Le T-AT. Environmental impact of bioplastic use: a review. Heliyon, 2021, 7(9),

[7] Ribba L, Lopretti M, de Oca-Vásquez GM, Batista D, Goyanes S, Vega-Baudrit J. Biodegradable plastics in aquatic ecosystems: latest findings, research gaps, and recommendations. Environ Res Lett, 2022, 17: 3,

[8] Cucina M, de Nisi P, Tambone F, Adani F. The role of waste management in reducing bioplastics’ leakage into the environment: a review. Bioresour Technol, 2021, 337,

[9] Talan A, Pokhrel S, Tyagi RD, Drogui P. Biorefinery strategies for microbial bioplastics production: sustainable pathway towards circular bioeconomy. Bioresour Technol Rep, 2022, 17,

[10] Rosenboom J-G, Langer R, Traverso G. Bioplastics for a circular economy. Nat Rev Mater, 2022, 7(2): 117-137,

[11] Lim C, Yusoff S, Ng CG, Lim PE, Ching YC. Bioplastic made from seaweed polysaccharides with green production methods. J Environ Chem Eng, 2021, 9(5),

[12] Carina D, Sharma S, Jaiswal AK, Jaiswal S. Seaweeds polysaccharides in active food packaging: a review of recent progress. Trends Food Sci Technol, 2021, 110: 559-572,

[13] Suryanto H, Sahana RT, Aminnudin SA, Widiyanti YU. Effect of carrageenan on the structure of cassava starch bioplastic after extrusion process. AIP Conf Proc, 2019, 2120(1): 080023,

[14] Rupert R, Rodrigues KF, Thien VY, Yong WTL. Carrageenan from Kappaphycus alvarezii (Rhodophyta, Solieriaceae): metabolism, structure, production, and application. Front Plant Sci, 2022, 13,

[15] Khalil HA, Tye YY, Saurabh CK, Leh CP, Lai TK, Chong EWN, et al.. Biodegradable polymer films from seaweed polysaccharides: a review on cellulose as a reinforcement material. Express Polym Lett, 2017, 11: 244-265,

[16] Elieh-Ali-Komi D, Hamblin MR. Chitin and chitosan: production and application of versatile biomedical nanomaterials. Int J Adv Res, 2016, 4(3): 411-427

[17] Abdullah AH, Fikriyyah A, Furghoniyyah U. Effect of chitin addition on water resistance properties of starch-based bioplastic properties. IOP Conf Ser Earth Environ Sci, 2020, 483,

[18] Morris JP, Backeljau T, Chapelle G. Shells from aquaculture: a valuable biomaterial, not a nuisance waste product. Rev Aquac, 2019, 11(1): 42-57,

[19] Folino A, Karageorgiou A, Calabrò PS, Komilis D. Biodegradation of wasted bioplastics in natural and industrial environments: a review. Sustainability, 2020, 12(15): 6030,

[20] Steinbruch E, Drabik D, Epstein M, Ghosh S, Prabhu MS, Gozin M, et al.. Hydrothermal processing of a green seaweed Ulva sp. for the production of monosaccharides, polyhydroxyalkanoates, and hydrochar. Bioresour Technol, 2020, 318: 124263,

[21] Al-Khairy D, Fu W, Alzahmi AS, Twizere JC, Amin SA, Salehi-Ashtiani K, Mystikou A. Closing the gap between bio-based and petroleum-based plastic through bioengineering. Microorganisms, 2022, 10(12): 2320, PMID:36557574;PMCID:PMC9787566

[22] Boey JY, Lee CK, Tay GS. Factors affecting mechanical properties of reinforced bioplastics: a review. Polymers, 2022, 14: 3737,

[23] Gabriel AA, Solikhah AF, Rahmawati AY. Tensile strength and elongation testing for starch-based bioplastics using melt intercalation method: a review. J Phys Conf Ser, 2021, 1858,

[24] Istini S, Ohno M, Kusunose H. Methods of analysis for agar, carrageenan and alginate in seaweed. Bull Mar Sci Fish, 1994, 14: 49-55

[25] Kodali GMS, Sumathy VJH. Biodegradable plastics—a boon to the degrading environment. FS J Pharm Res, 2012, 1: 7-10

[26] Chantawee K, Riyajan S-A. Effect of glycerol on the physical properties of carboxylated styrene-butadiene rubber/cassava starch blend films. J Polym Environ, 2019, 27(1): 50-60,

[27] Ballesteros-Mártinez L, Pérez-Cervera C, Andrade-Pizarro R. Effect of glycerol and sorbitol concentrations on mechanical, optical, and barrier properties of sweet potato starch film. NFS J, 2020, 20: 1-9,

[28] Marichelvam MK, Jawaid M, Asim M. Corn and rice starch-based bio-plastics as alternative packaging materials. Fibers, 2019, 7(4): 32,

[29] Amin MR, Chowdhury MA, Kowser MA. Characterization and performance analysis of composite bioplastics synthesized using titanium dioxide nanoparticles with corn starch. Heliyon, 2019, 5(8),

[30] Krishnamurthy A, Amritkumar P. Synthesis and characterization of eco-friendly bioplastic from low-cost plant resources. SN Appl Sci, 2019, 1(11): 1432,

[31] Kalita NK, Damare NA, Hazarika D, Bhagabati P, Kalamdhad A, Katiyar V. Biodegradation and characterization study of compostable PLA bioplastic containing algae biomass as potential degradation accelerator. Environ Chall, 2021, 3,

[32] Ruggero F, Gori R, Lubello C. Methodologies to assess biodegradation of bioplastics during aerobic composting and anaerobic digestion: a review. Waste Manag Res, 2019, 37(10): 959-975,

[33] Tecante A, Santiago MCN. Vincente JD. Solution properties of κ-carrageenan and its interaction with other polysaccharides in aqueous media. Rheology, 2012 Rijeka IntechOpen 241-263

[34] Wang Y, Yuan C, Cui B, Liu Y. Influence of cations on texture, compressive elastic modulus, sol-gel transition and freeze-thaw properties of kappa-carrageenan gel. Carbohydr Polym, 2018, 202: 530-535,

[35] Lim W, Kim GJ, Kim HW, Lee J, Zhang X, Kang MG, et al.. Kappa-carrageenan-based dual crosslinkable bioink for extrusion type bioprinting. Polymers, 2020, 12(10): 2377,

[36] Carsi M, Sanchis MJ, Gómez CM, Rodriguez S, Torres FG. Effect of chitin whiskers on the molecular dynamics of carrageenan-based nanocomposites. Polymers, 2019, 11(6): 1083,

[37] Teixeira LM, Merquior VLC. Rosenberg E, DeLong EF, Lory S, Stackebrandt E, Thompson F. The family moraxellaceae. The prokaryotes: gammaproteobacteria, 2014 Berlin Springer 443-476,

[38] Shi Y, Hu Y, Liang D, Wang G, Xie J, Zhu X. Enhanced denitrification of sewage via bio-microcapsules embedding heterotrophic nitrification-aerobic denitrification bacteria Acinetobacter pittii SY9 and corn cob. Bioresour Technol, 2022, 358,

[39] Wang Y, Wang Q, Liu L. Crude oil degrading fingerprint and the overexpression of oxidase and invasive genes for n-hexadecane and crude oil degradation in the Acinetobacter pittii H9–3 strain. Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2019, 16(2): 188,

[40] Ho MT, Li MSM, McDowell T, MacDonald J, Yuan Z-C. Characterization and genomic analysis of a diesel-degrading bacterium, Acinetobacter calcoaceticus CA16, isolated from Canadian soil. BMC Biotechnol, 2020, 20(1): 39,

[41] Ghodake G, Jadhav S, Dawkar V, Govindwar S. Biodegradation of diazo dye direct brown MR by Acinetobacter calcoaceticus NCIM 2890. Int Biodeterior Biodegrad, 2009, 63(4): 433-439,

[42] Revathy T, Jayasri MA, Suthindhiran K. Biodegradation of PAHs by Burkholderia sp. VITRSB1 isolated from marine sediments. Scientifica (Cairo), 2015, 2015

[43] Azami NA, Wirjon IA, Kannusamy S, Teh AH, Abdullah AA. Enhanced degradation of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) by newly isolated Burkholderia cepacia DP1 with high depolymerase activity. 3 Biotech, 2017, 7(1): 75,

[44] Azami NA, Aryani WI, Teh AH, Amirul AA. Purification and characterization of new bio-plastic degrading enzyme from Burkholderia cepacia DP1. Protein Expr Purif, 2019, 155: 35-42,

[45] Azami NA, et al.. Enhanced degradation of polyhydroxyalkanoates (phas) by newly isolated Burkholderia cepacia DP1 with high depolymerase activity. 3 Biotech, 2017, 7(1): 75,

[46] Mohanan N, et al.. Microbial and enzymatic degradation of synthetic plastics. Front Microbiol, 2020, 11,

Funding

UCSI University(REIG-FAS-2021/036)