Chemical Modification of Microbial Poly(γ-glutamic acid)

Authors:
  • SMSebastián Muñoz-Guerra
    Sebastián Muñoz-Guerra
  • MGMontserrat García-Alvarez
    Montserrat García-Alvarez
  • JPJosé A. Portilla-Arias
    José A. Portilla-Arias
Publisher website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Poly(γ-glutamic acid) (PGGA) is an edible polypeptide excreted by certain bacteria that is presently accessible on a semi-industrial scale. Chemically, it is a nylon 4 derivative bearing a carboxylic side group attached to the fourth carbon of the repeating unit. Although this biopolymer is being exploited in the food, agriculture and cosmetic sectors, its use in massive applications as packaging or coating is still unknown mainly due to its instability in wet environments and unsuitability to be processed by common techniques. Chemical modification of PGGA involving esterification or amidation of the carboxylic group is the approach explored the most to obtain materials with potential interest as fibers, films or hydrogels. Electrostatic coupling of PGGA with hydrophobic cationic species may also be profited to generate non-water-soluble stable derivatives. On the other hand, the interest of modified PGGA as a functionalized biomaterial for scaffold and drug delivery has increased incredibly in the last years. This paper summarizes the progress in the methodology available for synthesizing PGGA derivatives, the relevant features of the new materials that are synthesized, and the most outstanding advances achieved in the biomedical field when modified PGGA is used.

This publication has 62 references indexed in Scilit: