Synthesis of Poly(Ethylene Brassylate-Co-squaric Acid) as Potential Essential Oil Carrier
Aurica P. Chiriac,
Alina Gabriela Rusu,
Loredana Elena Nita,
Ana-Maria Macsim,
Nita Tudorachi,
Irina Rosca,
Iuliana Stoica,
Daniel Tampu,
Magdalena Aflori,
Florica Doroftei
Affiliations
Aurica P. Chiriac
Department of Natural Polymers, Bioactive and Biocompatible Materials, Petru Poni Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, 41 A Grigore Ghica Voda Alley, 700487 Iasi, Romania
Alina Gabriela Rusu
Department of Natural Polymers, Bioactive and Biocompatible Materials, Petru Poni Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, 41 A Grigore Ghica Voda Alley, 700487 Iasi, Romania
Loredana Elena Nita
Department of Natural Polymers, Bioactive and Biocompatible Materials, Petru Poni Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, 41 A Grigore Ghica Voda Alley, 700487 Iasi, Romania
Ana-Maria Macsim
Department of Polycondensation and Thermostable Polymers, Petru Poni Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, 41 A Grigore Ghica Voda Alley, 700487 Iasi, Romania
Nita Tudorachi
Department of Natural Polymers, Bioactive and Biocompatible Materials, Petru Poni Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, 41 A Grigore Ghica Voda Alley, 700487 Iasi, Romania
Irina Rosca
Center of Advanced Research in Bionanoconjugates and Biopolymers, Petru Poni Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, 41 A Grigore Ghica Voda Alley, 700487 Iasi, Romania
Iuliana Stoica
Department of Physical Chemistry of Polymers, Petru Poni Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, 41 A Grigore Ghica Voda Alley, 700487 Iasi, Romania
Daniel Tampu
Department of Physical Chemistry of Polymers, Petru Poni Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, 41 A Grigore Ghica Voda Alley, 700487 Iasi, Romania
Magdalena Aflori
Department of Physics of Polymers and Polymeric Materials, Petru Poni Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, 41 A Grigore Ghica Voda Alley, 700487 Iasi, Romania
Florica Doroftei
Department of Physics of Polymers and Polymeric Materials, Petru Poni Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, 41 A Grigore Ghica Voda Alley, 700487 Iasi, Romania
Bio-based compounds are a leading direction in the context of the increased demand for these materials due to the numerous advantages associated with their use over conventional materials, which hardly degrade in the environment. At the same time, the use of essential oils and their components is generated mainly by finding alternative solutions to antibiotics and synthetic preservatives due to their bioactive characteristics, but also to their synergistic capacity during the manifestation of different biological properties. The present study is devoted to poly(ethylene brassylate-co-squaric acid) (PEBSA), synthesis and its use for thymol encapsulation and antibacterial system formation. The synthesized copolymer, performed through ethylene brassylate macrolactone ring-opening and copolymerization with squaric acid, was physicochemical characterized. Its amphiphilic character allowed the entrapment of thymol (Ty), a natural monoterpenoid phenol found in oil of thyme, a compound with strong antiseptic properties. The copolymer chemical structure was confirmed by spectroscopic analyses. Thermal analysis evidenced a good thermal stability for the copolymer. Additionally, the antimicrobial activity of PEBSA_Ty complex was investigated against eight different reference strains namely: bacterial strains—Staphylococcus aureus ATCC25923, Escherichia coli ATCC25922, Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212, Klebsiella pneumonie ATCC 10031 and Salmonella typhimurium ATCC 14028, yeast strains represented by Candida albicans ATCC10231 and Candida glabrata ATCC 2001, and the fungal strain Aspergillus brasiliensis ATCC9642.
