Sustainable Chemical Modification of Natural Polysaccharides: Mechanochemical, Solvent-Free Conjugation of Pectins and Hyaluronic Acid Promoted by Microwave Radiations

The modern chemistry has the main focus of saving resources and developing synthetic strategies characterized by intrinsic efficiency, ease and safety in operation, short reaction time, reduced energy, and waste. Natural polysaccharides are largely distributed in plant/animal cells; in other words, they are often provided by renewable sources. This characteristic makes them suitable compounds to be investigated for their employment as biodegradable material. In addition, natural polysaccharides have been proven to have a wide range of applications, and this prompted researchers to investigate their chemical modifications in order to modulate their properties. Herein we discuss the development of conjugation strategies of some polysaccharides with natural substrates and the effects of the structural modification on their bioactivities. Finally, this work intends to provide suggestions and perspectives on the development of safe and sustainable synthetic processes on polysaccharides.