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Polymers
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Natural Polymer Materials for Biomedical Application
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Natural Polymer Materials for Biomedical Application

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Biomacromolecules, Biobased and Biodegradable Polymers".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 August 2022) | Viewed by 9642

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Gustavo Fernandes

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Periodontics and Oral Medicine, University of Michigan School of Dentistry, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
Interests: biocompatibility; bone; biomaterial science; biomaterial engineering; biomaterials; tissue engineering; implant dentistry; tissue regeneration; bone regeneration
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This is a Special Issue on natural polymers applied in the biomedical field, seeking high-quality original research articles or reviews on cutting-edge developments in this interdisciplinary area. Over the past few years, natural biopolymer science and biotechnology have been widely studied, resulting in scientific breakthroughs in biomedical applications. The goal has been to develop treatments for different diseases or accelerate tissue repair, promoting human well-being.

This issue brings together physical, digital, biological science, animal and human applications, which may bring about changes in the methods for designing and producing biomedical devices and biomaterials.

With a focus on biomedical applications, the potential topics include but are not limited to the following: (i) natural polymeric biomaterials (analysis, physics, theory, and simulation); (ii) the conception and design of biopolymer-based devices; (iii) the additive manufacturing, processing, and performance of polymeric biomaterials; (iv) the design of biomimetic biopolymer-based devices; (v) functional and bio-based natural polymeric materials and their biodegradability.

Dr. Gustavo Fernandes
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Polymers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • natural polymer-based biomaterials
  • structural modification and characterization
  • biomaterials
  • theory and stimulation
  • synthesis, analysis, and physics associated with concepts and creative design
  • additive manufacturing
  • design of biomimetic polymer-based devices
  • functional polymeric materials
  • biodegradability

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 3857 KiB  
Article
Structural Characterization of Degraded Lycium barbarum L. Leaves’ Polysaccharide Using Ascorbic Acid and Hydrogen Peroxide
by Majida Al-Wraikat, Yun Liu, Limei Wu, Zeshan Ali and Jianke Li
Polymers 2022, 14(7), 1404; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14071404 - 30 Mar 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2050
Abstract
Plant-derived polysaccharide’s conformation and chain structure play a key role in their various biological activities. Lycium barbarum L. leaves’ polysaccharide is well renowned for its health functions. However, its functional bioactivities are greatly hindered by its compact globular structure and high molecular weight. [...] Read more.
Plant-derived polysaccharide’s conformation and chain structure play a key role in their various biological activities. Lycium barbarum L. leaves’ polysaccharide is well renowned for its health functions. However, its functional bioactivities are greatly hindered by its compact globular structure and high molecular weight. To overcome such issue and to improve the functional bioactivities of the polysaccharides, degradation is usually used to modify the polysaccharides conformation. In this study, the ethanol extract containing crude Lycium barbarum L. leaves’ polysaccharide was first extracted, further characterized, and subsequently chemically modified with vitamin C (Ascorbic acid) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) to produce degraded Lycium barbarum L. leaves’ polysaccharide. To explore the degradation effect, both polysaccharides were further characterized using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), high performance gel permeation chromatography (HPGPC), and scanning electron microscope (SEM). Results shown that both polysaccharides were rich in sugar and degradation had no significant major functional group transformation effect on the degraded product composition. However, the molecular weight (Mw) had decreased significantly from 223.5 kDa to 64.3 kDa after degradation, indicating significant changes in the polysaccharides molecular structure caused by degradation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Polymer Materials for Biomedical Application)
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14 pages, 2948 KiB  
Article
Tensile Strength Essay Comparing Three Different Platelet-Rich Fibrin Membranes (L-PRF, A-PRF, and A-PRF+): A Mechanical and Structural In Vitro Evaluation
by Mara Simões-Pedro, Pedro Maria B. P. S. Tróia, Nuno Bernardo Malta dos Santos, António M. G. Completo, Rogerio Moraes Castilho and Gustavo Vicentis de Oliveira Fernandes
Polymers 2022, 14(7), 1392; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14071392 - 29 Mar 2022
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2516
Abstract
Predictable outcomes intended by the application of PRF (platelet-rich fibrin) derivative membranes have created a lack of consideration for their consistency and functional integrity. This study aimed to compare the mechanical properties through tensile strength and analyze the structural organization among the membranes [...] Read more.
Predictable outcomes intended by the application of PRF (platelet-rich fibrin) derivative membranes have created a lack of consideration for their consistency and functional integrity. This study aimed to compare the mechanical properties through tensile strength and analyze the structural organization among the membranes produced by L-PRF (leukocyte platelet-rich fibrin), A-PRF (advanced platelet-rich fibrin), and A-PRF+ (advanced platelet-rich fibrin plus) (original protocols) that varied in centrifugation speed and time. L-PRF (n = 12), A-PRF (n = 19), and A-PRF+ (n = 13) membranes were submitted to a traction test, evaluating the maximum and average traction. For maximum traction, 0.0020, 0.0022, and 0.0010 N·mm−2 were obtained for A-PRF, A-PRF+, and L-PRF, respectively; regarding the average resistance to traction, 0.0012, 0.0015, and 0.006 N·mm−2 were obtained, respectively (A-PRF+ > A-PRF > L-PRF). For all groups studied, significant results were found. In the surface morphology observations through SEM, the L-PRF matrix showed a highly compact surface with thick fibers present within interfibrous areas with the apparent destruction of red blood cells and leukocytes. The A-PRF protocol showed a dense matrix composed of thin and elongated fibers that seemed to follow a preferential and orientated direction in which the platelets were well-adhered. Porosity was also evident with a large diameter of the interfibrous spaces whereas A-PRF+ was the most porous platelet concentrate with the greatest fiber abundance and cell preservation. Thus, this study concluded that A-PRF+ produced membranes with significant and higher maximum traction results, indicating a better viscoelastic strength when stretched by two opposing forces. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Polymer Materials for Biomedical Application)
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Review

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22 pages, 4633 KiB  
Review
Methods to Characterize Electrospun Scaffold Morphology: A Critical Review
by Alex Lopez Marquez, Iván Emilio Gareis, Fernando José Dias, Christoph Gerhard and María Florencia Lezcano
Polymers 2022, 14(3), 467; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14030467 - 24 Jan 2022
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 3975
Abstract
Electrospun scaffolds can imitate the hierarchical structures present in the extracellular matrix, representing one of the main concerns of modern tissue engineering. They are characterized in order to evaluate their capability to support cells or to provide guidelines for reproducibility. The issues with [...] Read more.
Electrospun scaffolds can imitate the hierarchical structures present in the extracellular matrix, representing one of the main concerns of modern tissue engineering. They are characterized in order to evaluate their capability to support cells or to provide guidelines for reproducibility. The issues with widely used methods for morphological characterization are discussed in order to provide insight into a desirable methodology for electrospun scaffold characterization. Reported methods include imaging and physical measurements. Characterization methods harbor inherent limitations and benefits, and these are discussed and presented in a comprehensive selection matrix to provide researchers with the adequate tools and insights required to characterize their electrospun scaffolds. It is shown that imaging methods present the most benefits, with drawbacks being limited to required costs and expertise. By making use of more appropriate characterization, researchers will avoid measurements that do not represent their scaffolds and perhaps might discover that they can extract more characteristics from their scaffold at no further cost. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Polymer Materials for Biomedical Application)
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