Heterocycles of Natural Origin as Non-Toxic Reagents for Cross-Linking of Proteins and Polysaccharides

Abstract

Chemical cross-linking of structural biopolymers, such as collagen, hyaluronic acid, and cellulose, plays a significant role in the preparation of new materials for bioengineering and directed delivery of medicinal compounds. However, the currently known methods for the modification of biopolymers by using synthetic reagents often lead to derivatives with noticeable toxicity. In order to design biomaterials that are fully compatible with human tissues, many recent studies have relied on the use of natural heterocyclic compounds isolated from plants and animals. Examples of such heterocycles include genipin, flavonoids found in foods (catechins, proanthocyanidins), and desmosine analogs. The applications of heterocycles in bioengineering for linking natural proteins and polysaccharides is a new and very promising direction in the chemistry of heterocyclic compounds, as illustrated by the large number of publications over the last decade.