Polyhydroxyalkanoates, a family of natural polymers, and their applications in drug delivery. Issue 7 (27th April 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Nigmatullin, Rinat; Thomas, Peter; Lukasiewicz, Barbara; Puthussery, Hima; Roy, Ipsita
• Is Part Of: Journal of chemical technology & biotechnology. Volume 90:Issue 7(2015:Jul.)
• Page Start: 1209
• Page End: 1221
• Publication Date: 2015-04-27
• Subjects: Biotechnology -- Periodicals; Chemistry, Technical -- Periodicals; Chemical engineering -- Periodicals; Industries -- Environmental aspects -- Periodicals; 660
• DOI: 10.1002/jctb.4685
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0268-2575

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" id="jctb4685-abs-0001"> <title>Abstract</title> <p id="jctb4685-para-0001">Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are natural biopolymers produced by various microorganisms as a reserve of carbon and energy. PHA synthesis generally occurs during fermentation under nutrient limiting conditions with excess carbon. There are two main types of PHAs, short chain length PHAs (scl‐PHAs) and medium chain length PHAs (mcl‐PHAs). The mechanical and thermal properties of PHAs depend mainly on the number of carbons in the monomer unit and its molecular weight. PHAs are promising materials for biomedical applications because they are biodegradable, non‐toxic and biocompatible. The large range of PHAs, along with their varying physical properties and high biocompatibility, make them highly attractive biomaterials for use in drug delivery. They can be used to produce tablets, micro‐ and nanoparticles as well as drug eluting scaffolds. A large range of different PHAs have been explored and the results obtained suggest that PHAs are excellent candidates for controlled and targeted drug delivery systems. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry</p> </abstract>