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The synergistic plasticization/compatibilization effect of poly(ethylene glycol)/glycerol is reported for poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)/chitosan blends. The optimum concentration of PEG was first determined by preparation and characterization of PVA/PEG blends at different ratios (9:1, 6:1 and 3:1). The PVA/chitosan blends, plasticized with PEG, glycerol, and their combination, were also prepared and characterized. Fourier transform infrared results suggested that PEG enhances the compatibility of PVA/chitosan blends. This claim was further confirmed by the morphological results. However, PEG had a detrimental effect on the crystallinity of PVA/chitosan blends. The combination of glycerol and PEG caused a five-time enhancement in the elongation at break values as compared with the blend plasticized with glycerol. The antibacterial properties against E. coli were also evaluated. All in all, the high antibacterial properties of the blend films along with good mechanical and morphological properties could be beneficial in wound dressing and food packaging applications which need further investigation., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In this study, an optimized interface-modified ternary blend with antibacterial activity based on polylactic acid/starch/poly ε-caprolactone (PLASCL20), mixed with nano hydroxyapatite (nHA) via melt blending. This method results in a homogeneous nanocomposite blend in which the addition of 3% nHA improves the overall properties such as hydrolytic degradation, hydrophilicity, antibacterial activity and the drug release comparing to PLASCL20. Moreover, the simultaneous use of nHA and encapsulated triclosan (LATC30) compensated the negative effect of triclosan through increasing the possible cell attachment. According to the contact angle results, nHA was thermodynamically driven into the interface of PLA and PCL/Starch phases. The addition of 3% nHA showed a good adjustment between the hydrolytic degradation and the release profile, therefore, their electrospun microfibers demonstrated an improved fibroblast (L929) cell attachment. The aforementioned nanocomposite blend is a suitable antibacterial candidate for many medical applications with minimum side effects due to the controlled release of triclosan., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)