Plant polysaccharides in the matrix of biodegradable material: modern technologies

Biodegradable materials are currently an environmentally significant alternative to excluding plastic materials and products based on them from the market since they can decompose without residue under the influence of microorganisms in aerobic or anaerobic conditions into the decomposition products of biopolymers: water, methane, carbon dioxide, and biomass. Scientists around the world are actively developing new approaches to creating eco-materials, and it is proposed to use plant polysaccharides as raw materials, the molecules of which are built from monosaccharide residues linked by glycosidic bonds and have film-forming ability. The article provides an overview of plant polysaccharides used in the formulations of biodegradable materials and their effects on the properties of the film material. Among the proposed raw materials for the matrix of biodegradable material, natural biomaterials of plant and animal origin are most often used, which have the ability to change the state of aggregation under the influence of various factors and act as structure-forming fillers for the main frame of raw materials. These types of polysaccharides are capable of forming gels, the viscosity of which depends on the molecular weight of the polysaccharide, the presence of certain ions, and temperature. When forming a polymer matrix from plant polysaccharides, it is necessary to take into account their properties, comparability, their ratio to the total weight, and technological features. Raw materials and technological processes and their influences on the strength properties of film biomaterials are considered. Biodegradable materials based on plant polysaccharides will provide new frontiers for obtaining a wide range of eco-products for various fields of application, possessing new properties and preserving the biosphere.