Engineering Proceedings (Dec 2023)
Natural Biological Macromolecules for Designing Hydrogels as Health Care and Anti-aging Solutions
Abstract
Recent advances in the development of strategies for chemical adaptation of biomacromolecules, such as polysaccharides, proteins, and lipids, have allowed for the design of functional hydrogels suitable for the current requirements in the biomedical and health care fields. Hydrogels are three-dimensional hydrophilic materials that have the ability to absorb and retain a large volume of water and are produced using a lower fraction of precursor macromolecules. They can be made from both natural and synthetic materials and can have different degrees of stiffness and elasticity, depending on the projected application. Hydrogels are biocompatible, and therefore can be safely used in various applications, including contact lenses, dressings, medical devices, and tissue engineering scaffolds. Also, they are effective targeted delivery systems for various drugs such as antibiotics, analgesics, and chemotherapeutics. Due to the protection effect with regards to high temperatures, acidic environments and enzymatic degradation which affect a wide range of unstable macromolecules, including peptides and proteins, the hydrogels can be considered as promising delivery vehicles. Hydrogels can be designed as adaptable natural extracellular matrices, with different degrees of rigidity and porosity. They can be functionalized with a wide variety of bioactive molecules, such as growth factors, proteins, and peptides, and they are very useful in tissue engineering applications, including cartilage and bone regeneration, neural tissue engineering, and wound healing. As anti-aging therapy systems, they can be combined with plant extracts or can include a multitude of bioactive compounds, such as collagen, hyaluronic acid, vitamins, enzymes, amino acids, or probiotics. The versatility and unique properties of bio-hydrogels are challenging and determine their study and application in many fields, such as health care and anti-aging solutions. The aim of this research is to provide an insight regarding the current status of polysaccharide-based hydrogels for applications in the biomedical domain. This will highlight new strategies to develop novel biomaterials which might help in improving human health.
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