Microbial Biopolymers and Their Derivatives as Nanotechnological Tools for Medicine

• Published in: Nanotechnology in Medicine pp. 29 - 46
• Main Authors: Marcelino, Paulo Ricardo Franco, Gonçalves, Fernanda, Aizawa, Nayelen Sayuri, Pereira, Henrique Paiva, Lacerda, Talita Martins, Silva, Silvio Silvério
• Format: Book Chapter
• Language: English
• Published: Chichester, UK John Wiley & Sons, Ltd 03.12.2021
• Subjects: Biopolymers; medicine; nanotechnology; safety; toxicity
• DOI: 10.1002/9781119769897.ch2
• ISBN: 9781119769866; 1119769868

Naturally occurring biological macromolecules are increasingly being applied in the most diverse fields, such as agriculture, cosmetics, food, pharmaceuticals, and biomedicine. They inherently have excellent biocompatibility, which is a prerequisite for the design of biomedical devices. Among the wide variety of natural polymers, exopolysaccharides (EPSs), such as pullulan, curdlan, bacterial cellulose, lasiodiplodan, xanthan gum, and gellan gum, among others, and also intracellular polymers, such as microbial polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), deserve attention for their ability to be easily incorporated in medical systems, especially for the controlled delivery of active ingredients in the most diverse contexts. The inherent favorable properties of these biopolymers can be also modulated by chemical modification, aiming at broadening the range of applications, as well as at improving their functionality for a specific application. This chapter provides an overview of the recent progress in research and development dealing with microbial biopolymers and their derivatives as nanotechnological tools for medicine. The properties of the most relevant biopolymers that can be inserted in this context, as well as the current status, challenges, and recent progresses regarding their application in the design of nanoparticles, nanofibers, and other biomedical systems are also discussed, followed by a discussion on the toxicity and safety of such materials.