Abstract
Nanocelluloses (NCs), with their remarkable characteristics, have proven to be one of the most promising “green” materials of our times and have received special attention from researchers in nanomaterials. A diversity of new functional materials with a wide range of biomedical applications has been designed based on the most desirable properties of NCs, such as biocompatibility, biodegradability, and their special physicochemical properties. In this context and under the pressure of rapid development of this field, it is imperative to synthesize the successes and the new requirements in a comprehensive review. The first part of this work provides a brief review of the characteristics of the NCs (cellulose nanocrystals—CNC, cellulose nanofibrils—CNF, and bacterial nanocellulose—BNC), as well as of the main functional materials based on NCs (hydrogels, nanogels, and nanocomposites). The second part presents an extensive review of research over the past five years on promising pharmaceutical and medical applications of nanocellulose-based materials, which have been discussed in three important areas: drug-delivery systems, materials for wound-healing applications, as well as tissue engineering. Finally, an in-depth assessment of the in vitro and in vivo cytotoxicity of NCs-based materials, as well as the challenges related to their biodegradability, is performed.
Highlights
Science and technology continue to move toward the use of renewable raw materials, more environmentally friendly and sustainable resources as a result of their potential to manufacture numerous high-value products with low environmental impact [1,2,3].Nanocellulosic materials derived from abundant and inexhaustible cellulose are an important component of this vital movement [4,5]
In vitro assays showed synergism between collagen, apatite, and osteogenic growth peptide (OGP) peptides, which induced early development of osteoblastic phenotype compared to bacterial nanocellulose (BC)-Ap nanocomposite. These results suggest that the (BC-COL)-Ap associated with OGP peptides proved to be a suitable candidate for bone tissue engineering applications [144]
The cytotoxic evaluation was performed in adult human dermal fibroblasts by using presto blue (PB) assay, and the results revealed that after 24 h exposure to the cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) materials, the cell metabolic activity was above the 70% cytotoxicity limit described by the ISO standard 10993-5
Summary
Science and technology continue to move toward the use of renewable raw materials, more environmentally friendly and sustainable resources as a result of their potential to manufacture numerous high-value products with low environmental impact [1,2,3]. Depending on the origin of the cellulose, the processing conditions, and the methods of their preparation, nanocelluloses are classified into three main categories (Figure 1): (i) cellulose nanocrystals (CNC), which are short and rigid; (ii) cellulose nanofibers (CNF), long and flexible; and (iii) bacterial nanocellulose (BNC), with high purity and very crystalline [1,7,8,9,10] Even though these types of nanocelluloses have a relatively similar chemical composition, there are major differences in their degrees of crystallinity and particle size, as well as in their morphological characteristics [11]. If these gels are smaller than 100 nm, they are usually considered nanogels [34,35]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
