Production and Characterization of Sporopollenin Reinforced Alginate-Based Composite Films

Abstract

Sporopollenin is a natural biomaterial that offers great potential for various applications due to its biocompatibility, biodegradability, non-toxicity, durability, and high thermal stability. In this study, sporopollenin was extracted from Pinus nigra pollen and incorporated into alginate-based films to utilize these advantageous properties. Sporopollenin samples were added to 100 mL of 1% alginate solution at different concentrations of 0, 5, 10, and 50 mg. Both sporopollenin-free alginate films and sporopollenin-enriched films were comprehensively characterized using FT-IR, TGA, SEM, and MTT analysis methods. The results revealed that sporopollenin obtained from P. nigra pollen was successfully incorporated into the alginate-based films. Furthermore, an increase in the amount of sporopollenin led to enhanced surface roughness. MTT test results also confirmed that the films were non-toxic. The aim of this work is to investigate the potential of sporopollenin as a functional additive in alginate films and to highlight its importance in developing sustainable and biocompatible biomaterials. These findings suggest that sporopollenin holds promise as an innovative biomaterial for various applications, such as food packaging.

Keywords

• Alginate
• Biodegradable
• Composite
• Cytotoxicity

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