Recent Progress in the Synthesis and Biomedical Properties of Natural Biopolymer Composites.

Abstract

Natural biopolymers have drawn extensive attention because of their great biocompatibility, biodegradability, renewability, and the availability of various reactive functional groups for modifying and introducing novel components. In the last few years, numerous natural biopolymer composites have been exploited to improve their physical and chemical properties and add new functionalities. Herein, we summarize the current progress in three common classes of natural biopolymer-based composites, including alginate, chitosan, and gelatin. The morphology characteristics, preparation methods, and unique functionalities of these biopolymer composites are also analyzed and discussed. Finally, the article offers an overview of recent progress in the main biomedical applications such as tissue engineering, wound-healing, and drug delivery, which inspires further progress in biopolymer composites with tailored mechanical property and stable characteristics for pharmaceutical and biomedical applications.