This book details polysaccharides and other important biomacromolecules covering their source, production, structures, properties, and current and potential application in the fields of biotechnology and medicine. It includes a systematic discussion on the general strategies of isolation, separation and characterization of polysaccharides and proteins. Subsequent chapters are devoted to polysaccharides obtained from various sources, including botanical, algal, animal and microbial. In the area of botanical polysaccharides, separate chapters are devoted to the sources, structure, properties and medical applications of cellulose and its derivatives, starch and its derivatives, pectins, and exudate gums, notably gum arabic. Another chapter discusses the potential of hemicelluloses (xylans and xylan derivatives) as a new source of functional biopolymers for biomedical and industrial applications. The algal polysaccharide, alginate, has significant application in food, pharmaceuticals and the medical field, all of which are reviewed in a separate chapter. Polysaccharides of animal origin are included with separate chapters on the sources, production, biocompatibility, biodegradability and biomedical applications of chitin (chitosan) and hyaluronan. With the increasing knowledge and applications of genetic engineering there is also an introduction in the book to nucleic acid polymers, the genome research and genetic engineering. Proteins and protein conjugates are covered, with one chapter providing a general review of structural glycoproteins, fibronectin and laminin, together with their role in the promotion of cell adhesion in vascular grafts, implants and tissue engineering. Another chapter discusses general aspects of a number of industrial proteins, including casein, caseinates, whey protein, gluten and soy proteins, with emphasis on their medical applications, and with reference to the potential of bacterial proteins. Another natural polymer resource, microbial polyesters, although small compared with polysaccharides and proteins, is also gaining increasing interest in biomedical technology and other industrial sectors. One chapter, therefore, is devoted to microbial polyesters, with comprehensive coverage of their biosynthesis, properties, enzymic degradation and applications. By dealing with biopolymers at the molecular level, the book is aimed at the biomedical and wider materials science communities and provides an advanced overview of biopolymers at the graduate and postgraduate level. In addition it will appeal to both academic and industrial life scientists who are involved in research and development activities in the medical and biotechnology field.

Biopolymers from Renewable Resources is a compilation of information on the diverse and useful polymers derived from agricultural, animal, and microbial sources. The volume provides insight into the diversity of polymers obtained directly from, or derived from, renewable resources. The beneficial aspects of utilizing polymers from renewable resources, when considering synthesis, pro cessing, disposal, biodegradability, and overall material life-cycle issues, suggests that this will continue to be an important and growing area of interest. The individual chapters provide information on synthesis, processing and properties for a variety of polyamides, polysaccharides, polyesters and polyphenols. The reader will have a single volume that provides a resource from which to gain initial insights into this diverse field and from which key references and contacts can be drawn. Aspects of biology, biotechnology, polymer synthesis, polymer processing and engineering, mechanical properties and biophysics are addressed to varying degrees for the specific biopolymers. The volume can be used as a reference book or as a teaching text. At the more practical level, the range of important materials derived from renewable resources is both extensive and impressive. Gels, additives, fibers, coatings and films are generated from a variety of the biopolymers reviewed in this volume. These polymers are used in commodity materials in our everyday lives, as well as in specialty products.

The book describes the development and commercialization of materials with viscoelastic properties, placing particular emphasis on the scientific and technological differences between plastics and bioplastics. The authors explain how to handle each of the two types of materials and determine the comparative environmental impact of the material life-cycle. The practical values of the overlapping aspects of the two types of materials from technical properties to eco-compatibility are also discussed.

This Special Issue focuses on the synthesis and characterization of hydrogels specifically used as carriers of biological molecules for pharmaceutical and biomedical employments. Pharmaceutical applications of hydrophilic materials has emerged as one of the most significant trends in the area of nanotechnology. To propose some of the latest findings in this field, each contribution involves an in-depth analysis including different starting materials and their physico-chemical and biological properties with the aim of synthetizing high-performing devices for specific use. In this context, intelligent polymeric devices able to be morphologically modified in response to an internal or external stimulus, such as pH or temperature, have been actively pursued. In general, hydrophilic polymeric materials lead to high in vitro and/or in vivo therapeutic efficacy, with programmed site-specific feature showing remarkable potential for targeted therapy. This Special Issue serves to highlight and capture the contemporary progress in this field. Relevant resources and people to approach - American Association Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS): web: www.aaps.org; email: (marketing division): [email protected]; (mmeting division): [email protected] - International Association for Pharmaceutical Technology (APV): web: apv-mainz.de; email (managing director): [email protected]; (congresses and trade fairs): [email protected] - International Society of Drug Delivery Sciences and Technology (APGI): web: http://www.apgi.org; email: [email protected]; - The Society of Chemical Industry (SCI): web: www.soci.org; email: [email protected] - Italian society of researchers in pharmaceutical technology (A.D.R.I.T.E.L.F.): web: www-3.unipv.it/adritelf/; email (head): [email protected]; - Italian Chemical Society (SCI): web: www.soc.chim.it; email: [email protected] - Associazione Farmaceutici Industria (AFI): web: http://www.afiweb.it; email:: [email protected] - Società Italiana di Chimica e Scienze Cosmetologiche (SICC): web: www.sicc.tv; mail: [email protected] - Society for biomaterials: web: www.biomaterials.org; email: [email protected] - European Society for Biomaterials (ESB): web: www.esbiomaterials.eu; email: - Società Italiana Biomateriali (SIB): web: www.biomateriali.org; email: [email protected] - Medical Device Manufactures Association (MDMA): web: www.medicaldevices.org; - European Polymer Federaton (EPF): web: www.europolyfed.org; email: [email protected] - Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE): web: www.4spe.org; email: [email protected] - Polymer Processing Society (PPS): web: www.poly-eng.uakron.edu/pps/; email: [email protected]; - American Chinese Pharmaceutical Association; web: www.acpa-rx.org; - Chinese Pharmaceutical Association: web: www.pharmachinaonline.com - Society of Polymer Science, Japan: web: www.spsj.or.jp; email: [email protected]

This book is an archival reference for the evolving field of biomaterials and their applications in society, focusing on their composition, properties, characterization, chemistry and applications in bioenergy, chemicals, and novel materials and biomaterials. It has broad appeal due to the recent heightened awareness around bioenergy and biomass as potential replacements for petroleum feedstocks. The book is divided into three parts: cellulose-based biomaterials, chitin and chitosan biomaterials, and hemicelluloses and other polysaccharides. Each chapter addresses a separate biomaterial, discussing its chemical, physical, and biological attributes, and hones in on each compound's intrinsic tunability for numerous chemical transformations. In the current quest for a "green" economy and resources, this book will help inspire scientists towards novel sources for chemicals, materials, and energy in the years to come.

This book presents the synthesis, processing and application of selected functional biopolymers as new advanced materials. It reviews theoretical advances as well as experimental results, opening new avenues for researchers in the field of polymers and sustainable materials. The book covers various aspects, including the structural analysis of functional biopolymers based materials; functional biopolymer blends; films, fibers, foams, composites and different advanced applications. A special emphasis is on cellulose-based functional polymers, but other types of functional biopolymers (e.g. from chitosan, starch, or plant oils) are also described.