Multifunctional membranes based on natural polymers: Preparation, characterization and in vitro performance evaluation

The aim of this study was to synthesize new multifunctional biopolymers via esterification of hemp fibres with two reagents: meso-2,3-dimercaptosuccinic acid and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid. The obtained biopolymers were characterized using infrared spectroscopy. The antibacterial activity of the derivative containing ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid moiety was evaluated by assessing the growth inhibition of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in Petri dishes. The results suggest that this biomaterial exhibits an excellent in vitro antibacterial activity. The antioxidant activity of the biopolymer frommeso-2,3-dimercaptosuccinic acid was tested in rat liver microsomal membranes in the presence of tert-butylhydroperoxide as free radical source. Results suggest that this material inhibits lipid peroxidation induced by the free radical species. Both derivatives were used to prepare multifunctional membranes that were characterized and tested indicating themaintenance of biopolymer functionalized properties. Moreover, these functionalized biopolymers interact with metal ions due to their chelating functional groups. The absorption capacity for a selectedmetal ion, Cd(II),was investigated in aqueous solutions at pH=0.65, 4.1 and 7.0 using optical emission spectroscopy. This study demonstrates that these newmaterials are very effective in chelating cadmium ions showing maximum efficiency at pH=7.0.