Characterization and potential application of dextran-based biopolymer powder obtained from Hydrangea macrophylla liquid anthocyanins extract by ultrasonic extraction

Abstract

Biopolymers have numerous advantages, such as their biodegradable, non-toxic, non-inflammatory and biocompatible properties, and, therefore, have a potential for various applications. In this paper dextran-based biopolymer powder, obtained from Hydrangea macrophylla liquid anthocyanins extract by ultrasonic extraction and simple precipitating method, was synthetized and characterized in order to determine its properties and potential application. Attenuated total reflectance Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR FT-IR) analyses showed interactions between the components of the system. Optical microscopy suggested that the prepared biopowder formulation was small and somewhat uniform in size, and also showed its easy binding to the fingerprint residues. Additionally, the prepared biopolymer powder was used to visualize latent fingerprints left on different non-porous and semi-porous surfaces, i.e. flat wood, glass, plastic and rubber. The results demonstrated the potential of the obtained dextran-based biopowder to complement routinely applied systems in developing latent fingerprints.