Synthesis and Biological Application of Polylactic Acid

Abstract

Over the past few decades, with the development of science and technology, the field of biomedicine has rapidly developed, especially with respect to biomedical materials. Low toxicity and good biocompatibility have always been key targets in the development and application of biomedical materials. As a degradable and environmentally friendly polymer, polylactic acid, also known as polylactide, is favored by researchers and has been used as a commercial material in various studies. Lactic acid, as a synthetic raw material of polylactic acid, can only be obtained by sugar fermentation. Good biocompatibility and biodegradability have led it to be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a biomedical material. Polylactic acid has good physical properties, and its modification can optimize its properties to a certain extent. Polylactic acid blocks and blends play significant roles in drug delivery, implants, and tissue engineering to great effect. This article describes the synthesis of polylactic acid (PLA) and its raw materials, physical properties, degradation, modification, and applications in the field of biomedicine. It aims to contribute to the important knowledge and development of PLA in biomedical applications.

Strategies for Bone Regeneration: From Graft to Tissue Engineering

“…Synthetic polymers represent an attractive solution because of their physicochemical and mechanical properties. Non-toxic and FDA approved synthetic polymers include: PLA (polylactic acid) and PGA (polyglycolic acid), showing the best mechanical properties, being non-inflammatory, biocompatible and biodegradable and supporting cell adhesion [ 72 , 73 ]; biodegradable PLGA (polylactic co-glycolic acid), providing support for cell adhesion; and PCL (poly e-caprolactone), which shows a relatively slow degradation rate and a great compatibility with human MSC [ 74 ]. PEG (polyethylene glycol) is another synthetic polymer that is very widely used, not only in tissue engineering but also in pharmacy, industrial chemistry, medicine and biology.…”

Microbial Production of Biodegradable Lactate-Based Polymers and Oligomeric Building Blocks From Renewable and Waste Resources

“…Polylactic acid is one of the most promising biodegradable and biocompatible aliphatic thermoplastic with extensive mechanical property profile ( Li et al, 2020 ). PLA is obtained from lactic acid (LA), a naturally occurring organic acid produced by microbial fermentation from renewable resources such as sugars obtained from corn, cane sugar, and sugar beets ( Van Wouwe et al, 2016 ).…”

Poly(lactic Acid): A Versatile Biobased Polymer for the Future with Multifunctional Properties—From Monomer Synthesis, Polymerization Techniques and Molecular Weight Increase to PLA Applications

“…Since LA is a chiral molecule with D-type and L-type isomers, three forms of polylactic acid are formed: poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA), poly(D-lactic acid) (PDLA), and poly(D,L-lactic acid) (PDLLA) [ 22 , 34 ].…”

“…These polymers can be produced applying various techniques, including azeotropic dehydrative condensation, direct condensation polymerization, and/or polymerization through lactide formation [ 35 ]. By and large, the commercially available high-molecular-weight PLA is produced via the lactide ring-opening polymerization route [ 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 ].…”