Alginates: Hydrogels, Their Chemistry, and Applications

VERONICA MANZANO; NATALIA PACHO; JOANA TASQUE; NORMA D´ACCORSO

Alginates Versatile Polymers in Biomedical Applications and Therapeutics

Apple Academic Press

Año: 2019; p. 89 - 139

Alginates: Versatile Polymers in Biomedical Applications and Therapeutics, explores the latest research on the use of alginate as a biopolymer in various biomedical applications and therapeutics. The biomedical and therapeutic uses of alginates and modified alginates discussed in this book include tissue regeneration, encapsulation and delivery of drugs, nucleic acid materials, proteins and peptides, genes, herbal therapeutic agents, nutraceuticals, and more. This book also describes the synthesis and characterizations of various alginate and modified alginate systems, such as hydrogels, gels, composites, nanoparticles, scaffolds, etc., used for the biomedical applications and therapeutics. Alginate, a biopolymer of natural origin, is of immense interest for its variety of applications in pharmaceuticals, as medical diagnostic aids, and in materials science. It is the one of the most abundant natural biopolymers and is considered an excellent excipient because of its non-toxic, stable, and biodegradable properties. Several research innovations have been made on applications of alginate in drug delivery and biomedicines. These include liquid gels, powders, beads, films, tablets, capsules, microspheres, microparticles, nanoparticles, nanosponges, nanofibrils, and nanocomposites. A thorough understanding of the synthesis, purification, and characterization of alginates and its derivatives for their utility in healthcare fields needs to be thoroughly understood, and this volume offers an abundance of information toward that end.