Shih-Chen Shi, Fu-I Lu, Chia-Yih Wang, Yan-Ting Chen, Kah-Wei Tee, Ruei-Ci Lin, Hui-Ling Tsai, Dieter Rahmadiawan
Plasticizers like Bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) are commonly used to enhance plastic properties but pose environmental and health risks. This study successfully derived plasticizers X and Y from rice straws, demonstrating efficacy in chitosan polymer coatings. Chitosan-based polymers exhibit exceptional hardness, with a value of 300 MPa, due to their enriched structure and robust chitosan bonding. This surpasses the hardness of DEHP. Zebrafish exposure over 5 days revealed that X and Y had no significant behavioral impact, while DEHP caused noticeable toxic effects. Maternal DEHP exposure reduced placental cell growth, unlike X and Y, which had no adverse effects on uterine differentiation or placenta formation, suggesting their safety in human pregnancy. The successful development of X and Y represents a crucial step towards greener plasticizers, addressing environmental concerns and promoting safer alternatives in various industries. © 2024 Elsevier B.V.
Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University (NCKU), Tainan, 70101, Taiwan; Department of Biotechnology and Bioindustry Sciences, College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, 70101, Taiwan; The iEGG and Animal Biotechnology Center, Rong Hsing Research Center for Translational Medicine, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, 402, Taiwan; Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, 70101, Taiwan; Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, 70101, Taiwan; Department of Mechanical Engineering, Universitas Negeri Padang, Sumatera Barat, Padang, 25173, Indonesia
