Structure and Properties of Natural Biopolymers

Abstract

Biopolymers are derived from polymers in which the prefix ‘bio’ refers to the living matter. They are produced by living organisms such as nucleic acids, polysaccharides, and amino acids and can be extracted from plants, or chemically synthesized from basic biological systems. Biopolymers are biocompatible (non-toxic), renewable, biodegradable because of the oxygen and nitrogen atoms found in their structural backbone, sustainable, eco-friendly, ease of handling, long-term stability, abundance, and simplicity of functionalization, Therefore, they are used in food, pharmaceutical, medical, and environmental applications. However, they have high production cost, ineffectiveness caused by the synthesis, development, and downstream processing processes.