Affiliation:
1. Department of Food and Nutrition, BioNanocomposite Research Center Kyung Hee University, 26 Kyungheedae-ro, Dongdaemun-gu Seoul 02447 Republic of Korea swaruproy2013@gmail.com jwrhim@khu.ac.kr
2. School of Bioengineering and Food Technology Shoolini University Solan Himachal Pradesh 173229 India
3. School of Chemical Engineering Yeungnam University, 280 Daehak-Ro Gyeongsan Gyeongbuk 38541 Republic of Korea
Abstract
Lignin is the second most abundant plant-derived and fascinating bio-based renewable polymer. It is a primary constituent of lignocellulosic materials found in plant cell walls. Lignin is a commonly available material as a waste product of the paper, pulp, and cellulosic ethanol industries. Lately, lignin and its composites have attracted considerable attention due to the excellent properties of lignin like its high abundance, lightweight nature, good reinforcing ability with polymers, biodegradability, CO2 neutrality, UV-light shielding effect, antioxidant activity, and antimicrobial action. The exceptional physical and functional properties of lignin make it a suitable filler for developing polymer-based composite materials. In this work, the isolation of lignin, its structure, and its functional properties such as antimicrobial and antioxidant potential are comprehensively reviewed. Moreover, the recent progress of lignin in manufacturing different polymer-based antimicrobial and antioxidant composites in food packaging, plant protection, and growth application is also summarized here.
Publisher
The Royal Society of Chemistry