Biopolymers and hydrogels

Due to their availability, biodegradability, biocompatibility, and nontoxicity, biopolymers present a great resource for development of new functional materials, which could be used in agri-food systems. However, they are very costly, and thus we investigate the potential of the use of agricultural and food processing byproducts as a source of biopolymer-based films and coatings, which possess favorable barrier, mechanical, and sensory properties.

 

Polymeric network structures with the ability to absorb considerable amounts of water, called hydrogels, have been increasingly investigated for the application in food systems. Beside their use as carriers of bioactive components in food, hydrogels also have a great potential to be used in food packaging systems. We investigate a possibility of biopolymer hydrogels formation and the incorporation of other polymers and/or nanoparticles in their structure, with the goal to integrate them into intelligent food packaging systems to provide antimicrobial effect or freshness indicators.

 

 

Projects:

 

III 44006 Development of new information and communication technologies, based on advanced mathematical methods, with applications in medicine, telecommunications, power systems, protection of national heritage and education, Ministry of Education, Science, and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia.