Y. Tokiwa et al., Biodegradation of a sugar branched polymer consisting of sugar, fatty acid, and poly(vinyl alcohol), MACROMOLEC, 33(5), 2000, pp. 1636-1639
We have examined synthesis of sugar branched polymer as a biodegradable mat
erial by utilizing natural substances. Biodegradation of a poly(vinyl alcoh
ol) (PV-OH) having sugars and fatty acids was observed by a biochemical oxy
gen demand (BOD) tester using the oxygen consumption method. PV-OH is known
as a biodegradable polymer by PV-OH assimilating microbes that are not dis
tributed widely. In this paper, the sugar branched polymers were degraded d
epending upon the molecular weights, and the polymer having a molecular wei
ght (M-n) of 3600 was degraded at 70-80% within 28 days by a soil or an act
ivated sludge without addition of PV-OH assimilating microbes. This is beca
use the proportion of PV-OH main chain in the molecular weight of the polym
er is low. PV-OH with low molecular weight can be degraded without PV-OH as
similating microbes. These results indicate that the polymer is completely
biodegradable and may have application as a new type of water-soluble mater
ial.