Chapter 1 - Introduction to lignocellulosic materials

Abstract

In recent years, the emergence of the energy crisis, pollution, waste management, and the shortage of raw materials has become a major concern globally. Lignocellulosic materials have been examined as naturally alternative resources obtained from bioenergy crops and agricultural residues attempting for the replacement of petroleum-derived products in different fields due to their inexhaustible supplies and affordable production cost. In the native feedstock, lignocellulosic materials mainly consist of carbohydrate (cellulose and hemicellulose) and aromatic (lignin) biopolymers that have intrinsically complex structures with several shared properties, such as biodegradability, biocompatibility, and versatile chemical accessibility. As an inherent green resource, lignocellulosic materials have attracted the attention of researchers around the world to explore them as potential biomaterial scaffolds for use in biomedical applications. Thus far, lignocellulosic materials have been employed in a wide range of applications including tissue engineering, antimicrobial and antioxidant materials, tissue regeneration, and nanomedicine. This chapter provides an overview of lignocellulosic material resources, compositions, pretreatment, and isolation methods. Furthermore, the most relevant biomedical applications of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin will be highlighted as well as the outlook and trend of lignocellulosic material in healthcare innovation.