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Preparation, characterization and antimicrobial application of hybrid cellulose-lignin beads

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Abstract

In the present study, cellulose-lignin beads were prepared using pretreated dissolving grade-pulp and extracted from birch wood hydrotropic lignin as starting materials. The preparation involved dissolution of both polymers in environmentally friendly 7% NaOH/12% urea aqueous solution, shaping the solution into beads and subsequent regeneration. Lignin content in the beads varied from 0 to 40%. The beads were characterized using FTIR, scanning electron and confocal fluorescence microscopy. Porosity, swelling behavior and leaching of lignin from the beads in water were studied as well. The antibacterial properties of the beads and original hydrotropic lignin were tested using Escherichia coli (XL-1 Blue) and Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923). The obtained beads in a never-dried state were highly porous spherical particles with evenly distributed lignin in them. Their shape, structure and properties were influenced by the lignin content. The beads did not show antibacterial activity against gram-negative E. coli. On the other hand, never-dried cellulose-lignin beads inhibited growth of gram-positive S. aureus, and the inhibition efficiency increased with the lignin content. The half inhibitory concentration for never-dried beads with 40% of lignin was 1.06 mg (dry weight) per 1 mL of broth determined after incubation for 24 h at 37 °C and at initial concentration of S. aureus of 6.48 log(CFU/mL). In contrast to cellulose-lignin beads, pure cellulose beads did not inhibit growth of S aureus. The results demonstrated that hydrotropic birch lignin can be used for the preparation of composite cellulose-lignin beads. Such beads show a great potential for antibacterial applications against S. aureus.

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Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the Graduate School for Biomass Refining (BIOREGS), Graduate School of Chemical Engineering (GSCE) and, also, the BioCenter Finland DDCB network at Åbo Akademi for financial support. Jani Trygg is kindly acknowledged for providing pretreated pulp.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Fibre and Cellulose Technology, Åbo Akademi University, Porthaninkatu 3, 20500, Turku, Finland

    Konstantin Gabov & Pedro Fardim

  2. Pharmaceutical Sciences Laboratory, Åbo Akademi University, Tykistökatu 6A, 20520, Turku, Finland

    Terhi Oja

  3. Laboratory of Biophysics, Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Turku, Tykistökatu 6A, 20520, Turku, Finland

    Takahiro Deguchi

  4. Pharmaceutical Biology, Division of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Viikinkaari 5E, 00014, Helsinki, Finland

    Adyary Fallarero

  5. Department of Chemical Engineering, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200F - Box 2424, 3001, Leuven, Belgium

    Pedro Fardim

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  1. Konstantin Gabov
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Correspondence to Pedro Fardim.

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Gabov, K., Oja, T., Deguchi, T. et al. Preparation, characterization and antimicrobial application of hybrid cellulose-lignin beads. Cellulose 24, 641–658 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10570-016-1172-y

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