Natural Products: A Minefield of Biomaterials

Abstract

The development of natural biomaterials is not regarded as a new area of science, but has existed for centuries. The use of natural products as a biomaterial is currently undergoing a renaissance in the biomedical field. The major limitations of natural biomaterials are due to the immunogenic response that can occur following implantation and the lot-to-lot variability in molecular structure associated with animal sourcing. The chemical stability and biocompatibility of natural products in the body greatly accounts for their utilization in recent times. The paper succinctly defines biomaterials in terms of natural products and also that natural products as materials in biomedical fields are considerably versatile and promising. The various types of natural products and forms of biomaterials are highlighted. Three main areas of applications of natural products as materials in medicine are described, namely, wound management products, drug delivery systems, and tissue engineering. This paper presents a brief history of natural products as biomaterials, various types of natural biomaterials, properties, demand and economic importance, and the area of application of natural biomaterials in recent times.

Classifications, Surface Characterization and Standardization of Nanobiomaterials

“…The advantages and disadvantages of natural biomaterials (for example natural polymers) are shown in Table 1. Natural polymers include extracellular matrix (ECM), proteins derivatives, and some materials derived from plants and seaweed that help to build up the required material [7][8]. An example of natural polymer is rubber, that made mostly from the latex of the Hevea brasiliensis tree and the chemical formula is the same as that.…”

“…Many advanced nanometrology techniques are used for characterization of nanobiomaterials [10]. The structure of natural polymers and some relational functions between cells, polymers, and tissues are also shown in Fig.2 [7]. Table 1: The advantages and disadvantages of natural polymers [7] Advantages Disadvantages No problem with toxicity or foreign body response.…”

“… It is metabolized in the body after fulfilling its purpose.  It is easily processable in the final product form with an acceptable shelf life and easily sterilized [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21].…”

Isolation, Characterization and Immunochemical Studies on Fibrous Proteins From Cowry Shell (Cypraea Moneta, Linnaeus)

“…Three main areas of applications of natural products as biomaterials in medicine include; wound management products, drug delivery systems, and tissue engineering (Ige et al, 2012). By virtue of their use as biomaterials, cowry shell products, with their reported protein content, are also potential activators of immune responses or carriers of toxic effects in living bodies.…”

“…Cowry shells constitute one of the most promising natural products suitable for use as natural biomaterials, while biomaterials are defined as non-drug substances suitable for inclusion in systems, which augment or replace the function of bodily tissues or organs (Ige et al, 2012).Cowry shells are also one of the most abundant natural sources of chitin and its derivative, chitosan, which have great biological potentials for a wide range of applications such as in the food and medical fields (Lim et (Kim et al, 2007). Three main areas of applications of natural products as biomaterials in medicine include; wound management products, drug delivery systems, and tissue engineering (Ige et al, 2012).…”