Sustainable natural biopolymers for biomedical applications

Abstract

Biopolymers are materials specifically engineered to interact with biological systems. They can be derived from either natural or synthetic sources, depending on the biological resources used or the manufacturing process employed. Over recent decades, these materials have gained significant popularity within the medical field due to their remarkable attributes such as biodegradability, bioactivity, and compatibility with human tissue. One notable application is their use as scaffolds for bone regeneration. Biopolymers, being renewable biomaterials, provide opportunities for continuous manufacturing and technological progress across various industries. These biomaterials have demonstrated great promise in medical sectors, including nerve regeneration and the production of surgical devices. Additionally, their versatility extends to non-biomedical applications, like food packaging. This paper aims to provide a comprehensive overview of different biopolymers, elucidating their properties, showcasing their latest applications, and delving into the state-of-the-art manufacturing technologies used in their production. Special emphasis is placed on their suitability as bone tissue repair and regeneration scaffolds, owing to their unique properties, which render them an ideal choice for this specific application.

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“…Another notable advantage is the potential for biopolymers to exhibit superior biocompatibility, making them suitable for biomedical applications such as drug delivery systems [11,12] and tissue engineering scaffolds [13,14]. Moreover, biopolymers offer versatility in terms of their properties and functionalities, with researchers exploring various modification techniques to tailor their mechanical [15,16], thermal [17,18], and barrier properties [19,20] to specific applications [21][22][23][24]. Overall, the adoption of biopolymers presents a promising pathway towards achieving sustainability goals while catering to diverse industrial and societal needs [25].…”

“…Catalysts 2024, 14, x FOR PEER REVIEW 2 of 26 various modification techniques to tailor their mechanical [15,16], thermal [17,18], and barrier properties [19,20] to specific applications [21][22][23][24]. Overall, the adoption of biopolymers presents a promising pathway towards achieving sustainability goals while catering to diverse industrial and societal needs [25].…”