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Review
. 2023 Apr 19;15(8):1937.
doi: 10.3390/polym15081937.

Exploiting Polyhydroxyalkanoates for Biomedical Applications

Vipin Chandra Kalia  1 , Sanjay K S Patel  1 , Jung-Kul Lee  1
Affiliations
Review

Exploiting Polyhydroxyalkanoates for Biomedical Applications

Vipin Chandra Kalia et al. Polymers (Basel). .

Abstract

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) are biodegradable plastic. Numerous bacteria produce PHAs under environmental stress conditions, such as excess carbon-rich organic matter and limitations of other nutritional elements such as potassium, magnesium, oxygen, phosphorus, and nitrogen. In addition to having physicochemical properties similar to fossil-fuel-based plastics, PHAs have unique features that make them ideal for medical devices, such as easy sterilization without damaging the material itself and easy dissolution following use. PHAs can replace traditional plastic materials used in the biomedical sector. PHAs can be used in a variety of biomedical applications, including medical devices, implants, drug delivery devices, wound dressings, artificial ligaments and tendons, and bone grafts. Unlike plastics, PHAs are not manufactured from petroleum products or fossil fuels and are, therefore, environment-friendly. In this review, a recent overview of applications of PHAs with special emphasis on biomedical sectors, including drug delivery, wound healing, tissue engineering, and biocontrols, are discussed.

Keywords: biocontrol; biomedical; biopolymers; drug delivery; microspheres; polyhydroxyalkanoates; tissue engineering; wound healing.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Biomedical applications of polyhydroxyalkanoates.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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