title: Biopolyester-based systems containing naturally occurring compounds with enhanced thermo-oxidative stability.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This work presents a sustainable approach for the stabilization of polylactic acid (PLA) against thermo-oxidative aging.
  
  
  METHODS
  Naturally occurring phenolic and polyphenolic compounds, such as ferulic acid (FerAc), vanillic acid (VanAc), quercetin (Querc) and vitamin E (VitE), were introduced into PLA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The preliminary characterization of the systems formulated containing different amounts of natural stabilizers showed that all compounds used acted as plasticizers, leading to a decrease in rheological functions with respect to neat PLA, without significantly modifying the crystallinity of the raw material. The study of the thermo-oxidative behavior of neat PLA and PLA/natural compound systems, performed by spectrometric and thermal analyses, indicated that all stabilizers considered were able to exert a remarkable antioxidant action against thermo-oxidative phenomena.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  All natural compounds considered are thus proposed as ecofriendly stabilizers, to get fully bio-based polymer systems with enhanced thermo-oxidative stability, suitable for biomedical applications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil, Environmental, Aerospace, Materials Engineering, University of Palermo, Palermo - Italy.
authors.forename: Rossella
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Arrigo
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil, Environmental, Aerospace, Materials Engineering, University of Palermo, Palermo - Italy.
authors.forename: Elisabetta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Morici
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil, Environmental, Aerospace, Materials Engineering, University of Palermo, Palermo - Italy.
authors.forename: Nadka Tzankova
authors.initials: NT
authors.lastname: Dintcheva
mesh_terms: D003373:Coumaric Acids / Q000737:chemistry*; D006358:Hot Temperature; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D011091:Polyesters / Q000737:chemistry*; D011794:Quercetin / Q000737:chemistry*; D014641:Vanillic Acid / Q000737:chemistry*; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D003373:Coumaric Acids; D011091:Polyesters; D014810:Vitamin E; C033616:poly(lactide); D011794:Quercetin; C004999:ferulic acid; D014641:Vanillic Acid