6^th World Congress on Biopolymers September 7-9, 2017 Paris, France

N.Gorgaslidze has completed her PhD at the age of 37 years from Saint-Petersburg State Chemical-Pharmaceutical Academy. She is the director of TSMU I.Kutateladze Institute of Pharmacochemistry and professor at the department of Social and Clinical Pharmacy at Tbilisi State Medical University. She has published more than 80 papers in reputed journals.

Enzymes as drugs are used for the treatment of many diseases. Nowadays, the number of enzyme containing preparations is not so great. This is due to several reasons: lack of resources, high price, immunogenic problems and low stability. The present work describes development of new drug forms - gels, containing bromelain and papain as well initial studies of standardization of the fruit bromelain and stem bromelain from the pineapple (Ananas comosus L.) and the comparative characterization of their physical-chemical properties. Particularly, influences of concentrations of cystein and casein on the speed of hydrolyze, dependence of casein lysis on concentration of bromelain, optimal parameters of pH and temperature were studied. The bases for the gels, which determine the optimal resorption and stability of the biological active compounds were selected

J. Rodolfo Rendón-Villalobos has his expertise in development and obtaining of Biopolymers that are used to produce composites biodegradables for its potential application in the packaging industry, with the intention of reducing the use and gradually replace conventional polymers to help and try to solve the pollution problems. Coordinates the evaluation of the biopolymers and composites in its structural characteristics as spectrophotometry FT-IR, SEM, XRD; as well as Biodegradation studies, Rheological and Thermal analysis

The need to reduce the use and gradually replace conventional polymers to help and try to solve the pollution problems, has driven research into the development of packaging with a lower environmental impact, which retain the physical and mechanical properties necessary for the preservation of food. In this sense, to achieve this goal it has been emphasized that the use of biopolymers, as they come from renewable sources and characteristics necessary for the manufacture of food packaging. The main aim of this work was to obtain bio-composites based on PLA/PCL/essential oil. Methodology: Response surface using a multiple factorial design with level 2k, was employed to study and investigate the individual and interactive effects of process variables on response variables. The independent variables X1, X2, X3; (PLA, PCL, and essential oil) and the response variables (dependent variables Y): stress fracture, % elongation and Young´s modulus were chosen. Results: The quadratic regression coefficient showed a highly significant at 95 % confidence level (p < 0.05). The ideal conditions were 80 %, 20 % and 10 % for PLA/PCL/cinnamon oil; exhibiting optimum values for stress fracture, % elongation and Young´s modulus of 60.88 Mpa, 267.64 % and 603 Mpa, respectively. All the dependent variables were in favourable range, wherewith was obtained water vapour permeability (WVP) values of 5.73 x 10-13 g m-1 s-1 Pa-1 for the optimized bio-composite. Conclusion & Significance: The bio-composite with desirable bio-mechanical and barrier properties, can be applied as coating in the food packaging industry.

Siriwan Leesirisan has worked as a scientist in Department of Science Service, Thailand since 1993. She was awarded her PhD from Institute of Polymer Technology and Materials Engineering, IPTME (now Department of Materials), Loughborough Univesity, United Kingdom. Her area of expertise is in mechanical and chemical characterization of plastic products. She is currently working on development of natural fiber composites.

Cellulose fibers were isolated from grinded decorticated pineapple leaf biomass using a facile conventional extraction method and sodium hydroxide as a catalyst in ethanol-water extracting medium. The structures of the treated fibers were investigated using FTIR, XRD and SEM techniques. FTIR results indicated that non-cellulosic components were effectively eliminated when a certain amount of sodium hydroxide was presented in the extracting medium and a certain time employed. As a result, higher purity cellulose fibers were obtained. The crystalline structures of the fibers were observed by XRD and the crystallinity indexes were calculated using the peak height method [1]. It was found that the crystallinity index of a treated fiber was almost 20% higher than that of the untreated one. In addition, SEM images revealed that the treated fibers were defibrillated from fiber bundles. Furthermore, thermal degradation behaviour characterized by thermogravimetry showed that the temperature at the maximum weight loss of a treated fiber was closed to that of a hydrogen peroxide bleached kraft cellulose fiber [2]. The cellulose fiber after physical and chemical treatment can be used as reinforcement in green biopolymer materials such as PLA [3], [4], [5].

Yolanda González-García holds a PhD degree in Biotechnological processes and has her expertise in Industrial microbiology with special focus in bacterial biopolymers such as polyhydroxyalkanoates, exopolymeric substances, and bacterial cellulose. In 2007 she received the Ernst Mach grant from the Austrian Agency for International Mobility and Cooperation in Education and Research, for research exchange at the Graz University of Technology. She is titular researcher at the University of Guadalajara (Mexico) specifically at the Department of Wood, Cellulose and Paper, where studies the feasibility of using industrial wastes and by-product streams for the biotechnological production of value added-products.

Statement of the Problem: Bacterial cellulose (BC) is a high value- added biopolymer with several uses in biomedical and pharmaceutical industries. In comparison to plant cellulose, BC presents higher purity and mechanical strength. Nevertheless its production costs are high. The use of agro-waste to formulate culture media could make the BC production process economically feasible. Mango waste (Mangifera indica) contains significant amounts of sugars and could be used as fermentation feedstock. It has been reported that the nitrogen source used for the culture media formulation has an important impact in the BC synthesis. The purpose of this study focuses on using mango pulp waste - supplemented or not with different nitrogen sources - as culture medium for BC production. Crystallinity and thermal stability of the biopolymer synthesized were also studied. Methodology: Mango pulp was analyzed for total sugars content, and was then adjusted to an initial concentration of 50 g/L. Nitrogen sources were added to formulate the different media: peptone, yeast extract, urea or ammonium sulphate. Komagataeibacter xylinus was acquired from DSMZ, and was inoculated in 20 mL of each culture media (8 cm- diameter glass flasks), which were incubated for 12 days under static conditions at 30°C. XDR and TG analysis were performed on the BC membranes produced. Findings: K. xylinus was able to produce BC in all media tested; nevertheless higher BC production was reached when adding peptone. BC produced from mango- based media presented physical and morphological characteristics similar to those obtained in traditional HS medium. Conclusion & Significance: Mango waste pulp is a feasible carbon source for BC production, and its use for media formulation could have an important impact in the biopolymer production cost

Xu-ri Huang has completed his PhD in 1991 from Jilin University. Now He is a professor of Institute of Theoretical Chemistry, Jilin University. His research focuses on theoretical chemistry, such as catalysis reaction mechanism and biomolecular simulation. He has published more than 150 papers in reputed journals.

Acid-sensing ion channel 1a(ASIC1a) as proton-activated receptor cation channel, contributes to sensory transduction, depression and fear-related behaviors throughout nervous system. So far, how proton mediates the channel gating process still remains elusive. Here we report that the ion pore changes at different PH values through molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The path of long-range conformational changes from the extracellular domain to the transmembrane domain was determined; further, the correlation network analysis reveals how the interactions between subunits influence the channel gating changes. β1, β2, β10, α6, α7, β11 and β12 are the crucial regions by forming a passageway to regulate the ion pore changes. Our results reveal the process that the extracellular domain remotely regulates the pore changes

Marion Thébault got her Diploma of Wood Engineer (Master’s degree) in ENSTIB (National School of Technologies and Industries of Wood, Epinal, France) in 2010 and worked as an R&D Engineer on special finishes for the wood-based furniture industry. She obtained her PhD in Science of Wood and Fibers in the University of Lorraine (France) in 2014. Many of her works until now concerns the valorization of biochemicals in materials such as adhesives, polymers, foams and composites, particularly tannins and lignins

Decorative laminates are high density boards made of stacked Kraft papers impregnated with a phenolic resin that have been pressed and cured at high temperature. The quality of such laminates, in terms of avoidance of defects and mechanical properties, depends on the ability of the resin to impregnate the paper. The use of bio-based molecules such as lignins constitutes an eco-friendly and economic solution to substitute partially phenol, which is a toxic, in the resins polymers. The lignin materials, which are in the form of powder, have already relatively high molar weights according to their origin and need to be liquefied in the resin preparation. Such preparation provides different changes in the resin properties that can affect both the impregnability of the paper and the adhesive properties of the resin. In order to characterize the impregnation behavior of a resin with the porous substrate it is supposed to penetrate, measurements of conductivities of drops put on the surface of paper were carried out. Two lignins were tested: lignosulfonates and kraft, with two levels of phenol substitution. The effect of a phenolation pretreatment of the lignin material was also analyzed. According to their preparation (substitution level, lignin material, pretreatment), the resins drops penetrate Kraft paper relatively quickly. The more the phenolation substitution, the more a part of the liquid stays on the side the drop is put. The phenolation treatment of the Kraft lignin makes the resins penetrate the paper easier whereas the inverse behavior is observed when lignosulfonates are used. These results are compared with the visual observation of cross sections of impregnated papers and laminates made therefrom. The trend of resin to stay on the surfaces of paper rather than inside tends to make inhomogeneous cured layer in laminates and lower mechanical properties

Maurizia Seggiani is an Associate Professor of Industrial and Technological Chemistry. Her research activities are focused on analysis/optimization of chemical processes such as waste management (treatment/recovery/valorization of industrial solid/liquid/gaseous effluents), biomass gasification, green waste hydrocarbonization, and on the development of innovative materials such as solid sorbents for carbon capture at high temperature and biodegradable/compostable composites for applications in marine/land environments. In particular, in the last years she has been Coordinator of research projects concerning the development, processing and characterization of bio-composites based on PLA/PHA and natural fibres for applications in agriculture, packaging and marine environments.

Composites based on polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) and natural fibres such as fibres of Posidonia oceanica (PO) and wood saw dust (WSD) were produced by extrusion in presence of appropriate amounts of plasticizer and filler. Thermal, rheological, mechanical and morphological characterizations of the developed composites were conducted. Their biodegradability was investigated in different environments: under simulated composting conditions in laboratory-scale (ISO 20200) and in soil for the PHA/WSD composites, because their expected fate is to be treated in composting plants or in soil for agricultural applications; in sea water on natural marine sediments (ISO 14852) in mesocosm and dune habitat for the PHA/PO composites, because their potential applications are in marine environment, such as natural engineering interventions (restoration of seagrass habitats). The presence of the fibres facilitated the disintegration of the PHA matrix and, consequently, accelerated its biodegradation both in sea water, dune, compost and soil. The developed composites resulted biodegradable in marine environment in a relatively short time and compostable in soil. Given the good results, the PHA/PO compounds were used for the production of pots and other items usable in the sea and sand dunes, such as transplanting tools and structures for restoration or protection of coastal habitats, and the PHA/SD compounds for the production of pots for terrestrial plants. The assessment of the effects of the pots on the development of marine/dental and terrestrial plants and microbial communities is in progress

Judith Piermaria is working at Centro de Investigación at National University of La Plata. Her research interest covers Biochemistry, Food analysis, Food science

Kefiran is a prebiotic polysaccharide produced by lactic acid bacteria with bifidogenic effect and immunomodulatory activity in vitro and in vivo. Whey proteins are extensively used on food products because of their high level of essential amino acids and their functional properties. Both macromolecules have capability to form edible films. The objective was to develop edible films from mixtures of kefiran and whey proteins as carriers for the administration of probiotic microorganisms. Combinations of whey proteins, kefiran and glycerol as plasticizer in formulations were assayed. Kluyveromyces marxianus CIDCA 8154 and Lactobacillus paracasei CIDCA 8339 were also included. Natural or forced convection, as dry methodologies, were used to obtain the films. The formulation containing 6 % w/w of whey proteins, 2 % w/w of kefiran and 3.2 % w/w of glycerol was selected. Films presented compact microstructure by scanning electron microscopy and the average humidity was 16 ± 1 %. No significant modifications were observed in the physicochemical characteristics of films due to microorganism’s incorporation. Containing- microorganisms films obtained by natural convection showed less heterogeneity in thickness and higher elongation at break value (105.1%) than the corresponding ones obtained by natural convection (56.74%). When these films were submitted to an in vitro gastrointestinal tract (GIT) model was possible to recover 7.09.105 and 2.96.107 CFU/cm2 of viable lactobacilli and yeast respectively. The viability of probiotic microorganisms were maintained at acceptable values during studied storage time at 4 C (Figure 1). Physicochemical characteristics and the recovery of viable microorganisms indicate that the developed films are good alternative carriers for inclusion and delivery of probiotics.

Xi Zhao obtained his PhD in 2007 from Jilin University and was a visiting scholar from University of California Irvine, department of Chemistry. Now he is a associate professorof Institute of Theoretical Chemistry, Jilin University. His researches focus on biomolecular simulation. He has published more than 30 papers in reputed journals

Acid-sensing ion channel 1a(ASIC1a) is a cation channel activated by protons and causes Nerve death through central nervous system. Psalmotoxin1 is a gating modifier for ASIC1a. How the PcTx1 in complex with ASIC1a regulates the channel gating from the extracellular domain to the transmembrane domain is unclear.Here we used molecular dynamics (MD) simulations method to report the function of residues on PcTx1 and the path to change the ion pore. β1, β2, β10, α6, α7, β11 and β12 provide crucial the passageway to influence to channel gating through analyzing the PCA results and residues Arg27 is the main reason to stabilize the open state of the pore through researching the hydrogen bonds ,combining with the correlation network analysis

Dr.Gigimol M.G is a Research Guide (Chemistry) of M.G University. Now working as Assistant professor in Chemistry at Alphonsa College Pala, Kerala, India. Dr.Dhanya K.R is a Post doctoral Fellow at M.G University, Kottayam, Kerala.

Water is the most precious natural resource that exists on our planet. Water pollution affects human health and life. The resources of water on earth are limited and are reducing every year. It is a well-known fact that clean water is absolutely essential for healthy living. In modern countries, untreated sewage, poorly treated sewage, or overflow from under-capacity sewage treatment facilities can send disease-bearing water into rivers and oceans. Many textile industries use dyes to colour their products. These dyes tend to be disposed in industrial waste water and possess several life threatening problems. Malachite Green is a toxic chemical which can lead to many diseases including carcinogenicity. The chemical was classified a Class II Health Hazard because it is found to be toxic to human cells and might cause liver tumor formation. To avoid the dangerous accumulation of dyes in the aquatic system, removal of waste materials is necessary. Amongst the numerous techniques of dye removal, adsorption is a useful tool for protecting the environment.. TTEGDA-crosslinked N-vinyl pyrrolidone-acrylic acid is the adsorbent used. Varying conditions like effect of temperature, nature and degree of crosslinking, amounts of polymer and concentration of dye solution have been studied. Weight of dye bound increases when the concentration of the dye increases. Weight of dye bound also varies with varying crosslink density. Characterization of the dye and dye bound polymeric hydrogel was carried out by IR, UV and SEM. From the results, it was clearly found that TTEGDA-crosslinked NVP-AA is an efficient adsorbent for the removal of Malachite Green from water

Lali Gogilashvili has completed his PhD at the age of 33 from Zeliski Institute of Organic chemistry (Russia). She is a senior research scientist at Tbilisi State Medical University I.Kutateteladze Institute of Pharmacochemistry, department of plant biopolymers. She has published more than 55 papers in reputed journals. Her field of professional interests is Bioorganic and Medicinal chemistry

The investigation of a water-soluble high-molecular preparation from the crude polysaccharides of Anchusa italica roots and elucidation of its principal structural unit was carried out. According to 13C NMR, 1H NMR and 2D heteronuclear 1H/13C HSQC spectral data, the main structural element of high-molecular water-soluble preparation was found to be a regularly substituted polyoxyethylene, namely poly[oxy-1-carboxy-2- (3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)ethylene] or poly[3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)glyceric acid] (PDPGA). Most of the carboxylic groups of this caffeic acid- derived polyether of A. italica are methylated. The 2D DOSY experiment gave the similar diffusion coefficient for the methylated and non-methylated signals. This would imply a similar molecular weight for methylated and non-methylated polymers. Natural PDPGA preparations contain biologically inactive residual carbohydrates (approx. 25%) that, in accordance with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)/ gel-filtration chromatography (GFC) analysis are not covalently bound to PDPGA. It is suggested, that molecules of PDPGA can form with each other and with the molecules of residual polysaccharides complex supramolecular structure due to hydrogen bonds and hence, it is almost impossible to completely separate the polysaccharides from PDPGA using HPLC/GFC technique. Antioxidant activity of PDPGA against the relatively stable 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical was investigated. IC50 value of PDPGA is 51.5 µg/ml.

Nanuli Nadaraia has completed her PhD from Mendeleev Moscow Chemical-Technological Institute. She is a lead research scientist at Tbilisi State Medical University. Her field of interest is a chemistry and synthesis of biologically active compounds. She is the author of more than 40 papers in reputed journals and presentations at 50 international scientific conferences

Some oximes and amines of 5α-androstane series synthesized on the base of steroidal sapogenin-tigogenin showed high antiinflammatory, antifungal and antiarrhythmic activities. Combination of steroid and amino acid in one molecule gives possibility to obtain compounds with wide spectrum of pharmacological activities. In order to find potential bioactive steroidal compounds selective O- and N-acylation of 20-hydroximino-5α-pregn-16-en-3β-ole, 3β-acetoxy-20-hydroximino-5α-pregn-16-ene, 17-hydroximino-5α-androstan-3β-ole and 17β-amino-5α-androstan-3β-ole with N-protected amino acids was carried out. Sythesized mono- and dipeptide derivatives have been investigated for thier antiviral activity.

Veronika Bátori is an environmentally conscious lady and one of her main concerns is plastics bags or plastics in general. Therefore, she has dedicated some of her time to investigate biocomposites made from industrial orange waste. She is also passionate about music festivals, plants, and healthy food. She has been studying pectin based biocomposites and she is continuously thinking how to incorporate her passion with her profession in order to make the world a better place (starting it with herself, of course).

Statement of the problem: Biopolymers are hygroscopic substances that produce biobased thermoplastics sensitive to water. These hydrophilic plastics, such as made from starch at the same time have low mechanical properties, and blending is usually required with polymers that are resistant to moisture and have good mechanical properties. In polymeric blends and composites interfacial adhesion between the components plays a crucial role to achieve adequate physico-mechanical properties. Orientation: In our newly-developed orange waste composite (OWC), we face similar problems: the almost entirely polysaccharide based composite is hydrophilic and swells when it interacts with water. A well-known compatibilizer between fibres and resin, maleic anhydride (MA) has been used to modify polysaccharides. The objective of this study was to modify orange waste (OW) with MA in order to improve properties of OWC. The purpose of modification was to overcome the hydrophilic behaviour of biopolymers by replacing the polar hydroxyl groups with less polar ester linkages to MA; also, to increase entanglement of the chains and to enable cross-linking between polymeric chains to improve mechanical features. Findings: Esterification of OW was confirmed by FTIR spectroscopy. Because the major component of OW is pectin, the peaks describing the degree of esterification of pectin were analysed. Changes of broadband from 1700 to 1750 cm-1 (COOR) and from 1600 to 1630 cm-1 (COOH) were observed as a result of the esterification reaction. The change of the peak areas is confirming the presence of conjugated ester groups in the structure of OW-MA. The modification increased the ratio of COOR groups, consequently the increase of the peak area at 1737 cm-1 was seen compared to the spectra of neat OW. Conclusion & Significance: However, OW is a complex substrate it could be esterified with MA in order to produce biocomposites, to possibly reduce plastic pollution of the planet.

Over the last decade, chemical industries seek to develop new building bricks to produce biopolymers using sustainable carbon sources. Lignin is one of the most available and cheapest by-products in biorefineries where it is currently burnt to produce energy1. Polyurethanes are a family of polymers mainly used as foams or elastomers. They are usually made from isocyanate monomers which are toxic. This study proposes the synthesis of new polyurethanes made of ferulic acid derived from lignin. A macrobisphenol is firstly synthesized from ferulic acid by a chemo-enzymatic process2,3,4. It is then turned into a bisepoxide monomer5. After a carbonation step, the resulting biscarbonate is cured with a diamine. Two Non-Isocyanate Poly Urethanes (NIPU) were synthesised: one with an aliphatic diamine (1,10 diaminodecane) and the other with a cyclic diamine (isophoronediamine)6. They are hereafter called BDF-DA10 and BDF-IPDA. BDF-DA10 and BDF-IPDA were mixed together at a 1:1 ratio, in a single-screw extrusion process at 70°C and 25 rpm. The resulting material (NIPU-mix) was quite brittle at ambient temperature and became very ductile above its glass transition temperature (25 °C). A Confocal Raman Imaging experiment confirmed a good mixing of the two NIPU by following the dispersion of the cyclic diamine in the final material. Fluorescence spectroscopy revealed differences of fluorescent properties between BDF, BDF-DA10 and BDF-IPDA. Investigations were led to determine the influence of the chemical bonds and that of the spatial configuration of polymeric chains on the fluorescence.

Vernon Tebong Mbah is a chemical engineer investigating the design and synthesis of polysaccharide based polymers using nitroxide mediated radical technique. He is a second year PhD student at UNIVPM in SIMAU department with an extensive understanding in material science and engineering. The chemistry research group at SIMAU department has long years of experience in free radical chemistry, and Vernon Tebong Mbah also possesses several years of research experience in inorganic materials synthesis. His research is aimed at producing varieties of cheap environmentally friendly materials for daily uses through greener processes

Synthetic polymers which represent essential functional materials for everyday use, are mainly produced from fossil sources. They are inherently non- biocompatible and non-biodegradable, and therefore pose huge environmental issues. Additionally, these sources are non- renewable and may be depleted after several years. Recently, biodegradable, biocompatible and environmentally benign graft polymers from renewable sources have been successfully synthesized through conventional techniques. However, controlling the polymer size and structure is a challenging task. Orientation: Cellulose acetate-methyl methacrylate copolymer was obtained through a three-step process via the Nitroxide Mediated Polymerization (NMP) process. Firstly, the hydroxyl groups of cellulose acetate (substrate) were functionalized with a bromoisobutyryl group. In the subsequent step, the SG1 nitroxide was coupled to such an intermediate to form a macroalkoxyamine, exploiting the formation of a copper/ligand catalyst which promotes the displacement of a bromide atom from the α-bromoisobutyryl moiety. Finally, the resulting alkoxyamine was thermally decomposed in the presence of methyl methacrylate (monomer) to form a copolymer through a typical NMP mechanism. In fact, at 95o, the carbon centered radical thermally formed by the alkoxyamine decomposition was able to attack the monomeric units producing radicalic propagating chains. At the same time, such a decomposition releases SG1 nitroxide units, able to couple with these chains yielding larger and larger macroalkoxyanines which, in turn, could decompose following the same mechanism, with the continuous formation of radicalic polymer chains. This system is usually able to control the molecular weight distribution and polydispersity, hence the size and structure of the resulting polymer. By acting upon the reaction time, it is possible to get polymeric chains with retention of the “living” character, with the possibility to obtain more architectural designs. Findings: FTIR, NMR, as well as DSC analysis confirmed the formation of this kind of copolymer, and the corresponding living character has been assessed by means of EPR spectroscopy. Conclusion & Significance: Biodegradable polymers with controlled sizes, structures and different architectural designs can be synthesized from renewable resources by NMP, which in turn represents a “greener” approach with respect to the conventional methods. In this way novel, cheap and ecofriendly polymeric materials with extensive applications can be produced

Xian-yang Zeng is now studying in Institute of Theoretical Chemistry, Jilin University for Doctor's degree.

Glucose transport(GLUT) is vital to most living cells as a gate inserted in memberance controlling the source of both energy and carbon,glucose,into cells.Previous work with human GLUTs identified several inhibitors of glucose transport: cytochalasin B, phloretin, forskolin, and phlorizin.Now the research focuses on Staphylococcus epidermidis glucose/H+ symporter (GlcPSe),which shares high sequence identity (27–34%) and homology (49–58%) with the human GLUTs,and tries to search the proof of inhibition in the aspect of thermodynamics and conformation through molecular dynamics simulation.Furthermore,we also discuss the protonation effection among the transport process.

Sopio Gokadze graduated from Tbilisi State Medical University, Faculty of Pharmacy. She obtained her MS degree in Pharmacy in 2012. She worked at Scientific Research and Practical Skills Laboratory and currently she is a PhD Student at TSMU Department of Pharmaceutical Technology. S.Gokadze is a co-author of 6 scientific publications and 4 presentations at international conferences.

Nowadays, the advantages are given to burn healing drugs, which along with high specific efficacy, have analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial effects, and don’t irritate the tissues. The mentioned peculiarities are characteristic for a new herbal phenolic biopolymer poly[3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl) glyceric acid] (PDGA) isolated from the roots and stems of different comfrey species. .The aim of the study was the development of the formulation and technology of biosoluble films for burn treatment on the basis of PDGA. The optimal content of phytofilm for burn healing was selected on the basis of the biopharmaceutical study results. The impact of the film-former on the quality, adhesion and moisture absorption of the phytofilm has been studied.The optimal degree of the phytofilm moisture, determining its high adhesive properties, was established. The film prepared on the basis of sodium alginate, with 30.4% humidity, demonstrated the greatest adhesion strength. After investigation of the PDGA release it was found, that the hydrophilic bases such as: sodium carboxymethyl-cellulose (69.2%) and sodium alginate (78,65%) appeared to be optimal among the others. At the same time, taking into consideration the disadvantages of sodium carboxymethyl-cellulose (tautening effect on burnt surface, relatively low stability), a film based on sodium alginate was chosen. The manufacturing technology for obtaining PDGA-containing phytofilm by casting is proposed. The shelf-life of proposed PDGA-containing phytofilmis 2 years

Mohammadreza Rezaeigolestani is a student in Food Hygiene and Quality Control, Department of Food Hygiene, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran. Natural antimicrobial and food preservative compounds are his field of interest and also his research project was about development of antimicrobial-biodegradable food packaging films and their application for extending shelf life of meat products.

In recent years, an increased demand has been evolved for producing active packaging films with strong mechanical and physical properties. Moreover, addition of bioactive agents to packaging material can be considered as an effective strategy for controlling chemical and microbial deterioration of foods. In this context, herbal essential oils (EOs) are promising natural antioxidant/antimicrobial compounds which approved by FDA (Food and Drug Administration of USA) for using as food additive. In present study, active PLA-based packaging films produced by addition of Thymus vulgaris EO and nanocellulos as bioactive and reinforcement compound, respectively. The films were developed by solvent casting method, which different concentration of the EO (0, 0.5, 1, and 1.5 %v/v) and nanocellulose (0, 1) were added to PLA solution (1%wt in chloroform). Water vapour permeability (WVP, by the cup method), oxygen permeability (according to ASTM method D 3985), mechanical (tensile strength (TS) and elongation at break (%E) parameters) and optical properties of resulted composites were measured. The results showed that barrier and mechanical properties of the films slightly decreased by lower concentration of the EO (0.5 %v/v), but higher percentage of Thymus vulgaris EO (1 and 1.5 %v/v) had negative effects on overall permeability of the composites. On the other hand, as we expected incorporation of nanocellulose improved all the aforementioned properties of the films (except for optical parameters). The obtained results revealed that possible defects in physical and mechanical properties arising from incorporation of the essential oil to PLA can be compensated by addition of nanocellulose. In fact, Thymus vulgaris essential oil and nanocellulose together developed PLA film to an applicable active packaging nanocomposite for extending shelf life of foods