Importance of Biopolymers in Pharmaceutical and Medical Fields

Abstract

Biopolymers have gained significant traction in the pharmaceutical and medical fields due to their unique properties and versatile applications. These naturally derived polymers exhibit remarkable characteristics such as biodegradability, biocompatibility, renewability, affordability, and availability. Their role in tissue engineering, wound healing, and biosensor development has been extensively explored. In tissue engineering, biopolymers serve as scaffolds or matrices, supporting cell growth, proliferation, and differentiation for both hard and soft tissue regeneration. Hard tissue scaffolds often incorporate biopolymers like collagen, chitosan, and gelatin, combined with bioactive ceramics like hydroxyapatite, mimicking the natural composition of bone. Soft tissue scaffolds employ biopolymers such as collagen, gelatin, elastin, and alginate, fabricated into hydrogels, fibrous meshes, or porous structures for applications like skin, vascular, cardiac, and nerve tissue regeneration. Biopolymers have demonstrated promising potential in promoting wound healing and tissue repair, creating moist wound dressings, absorbing exudates, and providing a favorable environment for tissue regeneration. Biopolymers like collagen, chitosan, and alginate have been investigated for this purpose. In biosensor development, biopolymers offer biocompatibility and the ability to immobilize biomolecules such as enzymes, antibodies, or nucleic acids, serving as matrices for biological recognition elements while maintaining their activity and stability