2021 Volume 21 Issue 12 Pages 525-529
Plastic pollution has become a global concern. The accumulation of plastics in the environment mainly in marine is causing a serious environmental and ecological issue. Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are one of the best candidates to be used as a sustainable and biodegradable thermoplastic, instead of using petroleum-based plastics. PHAs are produced from renewable biomass such as sugars and plant oils by bacterial fermentation and show excellent biodegradability even in marine environments. Recently, based on the PHA production, a new culture method for the secretion of the intracellularly synthesized oligoesters from PHA-producing bacteria was developed. The secreted oligoesters are mainly 3 to 7-mers of (R)-3-hydroxybutyrate, capped with an alcohol compound at the carboxy end. The oligoesters have the potential to be used as macromonomers for generating new PHA-based materials. This article reviews the usefulness of PHA as a biodegradable plastic and presents the secretory production of oligoesters from PHA-producing bacteria. Additionally, this article describes the feasibility of the oligoesters for the synthesis of poly(ester-urethane) as a macromonomer.
