The sustainable cycle of a new cacao-based bioplastic: from manufacturing to exploitable biodegradation products.

The exponential growth of plastic consumption in the last decade became a large economic and ecological issue; therefore, strategies have been used to mitigate the environmental impacts, including the manufacture of biodegradable bio-based plastics and biodegradation strategies. Herein, a new bio-based plastic was developed consisting of a polymeric recyclable matrix (polyethylene or polypropylene) with a vegetal polymeric material from cocoa husk. Mechanical and rheological properties were evaluated and the new material showed interesting tensile strength compared to completely non-biodegradable plastics. The new polymeric material was submitted to biodegradation processes using different fungi species. The biodegradation caused by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides , Xylaria sp. and Fusarium graminearum in the new polymeric material was analyzed through scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) and tensile tests. Furthermore, ultra performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) and mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) were applied to identify metabolites produced in consequence to the biodegradation process. Interestingly, some compounds produced present high economic value.