Abstract
In this study, starch was chemically modified to improve its antioxidant activity. Five novel cationic 1,2,3-triazole functionalized starch derivatives were synthesized by using “click” reaction and N-alkylation. A convenient method for pre-azidation of starch was developed. The structures of the derivatives were analyzed using FTIR and 1H NMR. The radicals scavenging abilities of the derivatives against hydroxyl radicals, DPPH radicals, and superoxide radicals were tested in vitro in order to evaluate their antioxidant activity. Results revealed that all the cationic starch derivatives (2a–2e), as well as the precursor starch derivatives (1a–1e), had significantly improved antioxidant activity compared to native starch. In particular, the scavenging ability of the derivatives against superoxide radicals was extremely strong. The improved antioxidant activity benefited from the enhanced solubility and the added positive charges. The biocompatibility of the cationic derivatives was confirmed by the low hemolytic rate (<2%). The obtained derivatives in this study have great potential as antioxidant materials that can be applied in the fields of food and biomedicine.
Highlights
Natural polysaccharides with advantages of renewability, biocompatibility, and biodegradability are considered as potential substitutes for traditional fossil resources, which have been used to prepare a variety of functional materials, covering different fields such as biomedicine [1], pharmaceutical [2], food [3], textile [4], environmental protection [5], among others
This study mainly aims to improve the antioxidant activity of starch, providing theoretical support for the development of starch-based antioxidant materials utilized in the food and biomedical fields
Five cationic 1,2,3-triazole functionalized starch derivatives were synthesized by using the “click” reaction and N-alkylation
Summary
Natural polysaccharides with advantages of renewability, biocompatibility, and biodegradability are considered as potential substitutes for traditional fossil resources, which have been used to prepare a variety of functional materials, covering different fields such as biomedicine [1], pharmaceutical [2], food [3], textile [4], environmental protection [5], among others. Starch is one example of polysaccharides that are widely used. As a kind of natural polymer, starch is formed by condensation of glucose units through α-d-(1-4) and/or α-d-(1-6) glycoside bonds [6]. The design and synthesis of starch-based materials have been a hot topic due to their unique biocompatibility, biodegradability, and film-forming properties [7]. Drug delivery nanomaterials [8], implantable biomaterials [9], and active packaging materials [10] are the promising applications of starch-based materials
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