Chapter 11 - Silk and silk fibroin-based biopolymeric composites and their biomedical applications

Abstract

The suitability of biomaterials for biomedical applications is governed by their physical, mechanical, and biological properties. Of the host of features required for particular biomedical applications, the material must be nonimmunogenic and biocompatible. It is very hard to find an ideal material which fulfills the entire criteria. Fabricating biocomposite material from two known polymers is one of the best methods to introduce the functionality of both native polymers into one material. It is not always necessary that properties generated in the composite suit our requirement. Therefore, the property of material unique to our intended application must be analyzed before using it. This chapter tries to answer the following questions: what type of properties does blending of natural polymers generate? How do those properties determine the end use of the composite material? How are those properties useful for various biomedical applications? In this chapter composites of silk fibroin (SF) with different polysaccharides and proteins are discussed, along with their property which gives the answer to the above-mentioned questions. Also, some properties of SF-based composites, namely physical, mechanical, biocompatibility, and biodegradability, are discussed in connection with its biomedical applications in tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, drug delivery, and wound dressing.