From sea to sea: Edible, hydrostable, and degradable straws based on seaweed-derived insoluble cellulose fibers and soluble polysaccharides.
Carbohydr Polym
; 334: 122038, 2024 Jun 15.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38553205
ABSTRACT
The widespread use of disposable plastic straws has caused a long-lasting environmental problem. Potential alternatives for plastic straws are far from satisfactory due to the low utility, poor water stability, and non-ideal natural degradability. In this work, an edible, hydrostable, and degradable straw was developed from the economically significant seaweed. Seaweed-derived insoluble cellulose fibers were used as the building block of the straw, and the soluble polysaccharide extracts were explored as the natural glue through the chelation with Ca2+. Repeated freeze-thawing was introduced to strengthen the molecular interactions, which further improved its mechanical stability and hydrostability. The straw exhibited remarkable natural degradability in open environments, particularly in marine-mimicking conditions. By incorporating pH-sensitive food pigments, the straws could indicate acid-base property of a beverage or even discriminate the freshness of milk. The versatile seaweed-derived straw adhered to the biocycle concept of "from sea to sea" to alleviate the burden of white pollution on oceans.
Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Alga Marinha
/
Celulose
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2024
Tipo de documento:
Article