The molecular structure and multifunctionality of the cryptic plant polymer suberin.

ABSTRACT: Suberin, a plant polyester, consists of polyfunctional long-chain fatty acids and glycerol and is an intriguing candidate as a novel antimicrobial material. We purified suberin from cork using ionic-liquid catalysis during which the glycerol bonds that ensure the polymeric nature of suberin remained intact or were only partially cleaved-yielding the closest to a native configuration reported to date. The chemistry of suberin, both in situ (in cryogenically ground cork) and ex situ (ionic-liquid extracted), was elucidated using high-resolution one- and two-dimensional solution-state NMR analyses. Centrifugation was used to isolate suberin particles of distinct densities and their monomeric composition, assembly, and bactericidal effect, inter alia, were assessed. Analys

SUBMITTER: Correia VG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7083753 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature