Preface

Biopolymers are polymers synthesized by living organisms. They can be polynucleotides, peptides, or polysaccharides. These consist of long chains made of repeated, covalently bonded units, such as nucleotides, amino acids, or monosaccharides. Cellulose is the most common organic compound, and about 33% of the plant matter is cellulose. Biopolymers can be sustainable and carbon neutral and are always renewable because they are made from plant materials that grow indefinitely. These plant materials come from agricultural non-food crops. Therefore, the use of biodegradable polymers creates a sustainable industry. In contrast, the feedstock for synthetic polymers derived from petrochemicals will eventually deplete and most of them are non-biodegradable. Non-biodegradability issues of synthetic inactive pharmaceutical ingredients strongly emphasized innovators towards the development of biopolymers. Recently natural biodegradable excipients gained significant attention due to their sustainability and engineered applications. Innovative technologies to transform these materials into value-added chemicals via novel graft-polymerization or co-processing techniques for the production of high-performance multifunctional and low-cost polymers with tunable structures are key parts of its sustainable development. Besides, the development of state-of-the-art advanced characterization techniques for these engineered materials is an essential component in uncovering their specific structure and facilitates the application of these materials in the new research area. This expansion is driven by a remarkable progress in the process of refining biomass feedstock to produce bio-based building blocks. The book has been written to provide a broad platform for innovators and researchers in the area of biopolymers’ development with major biomedical and agro-industrial applications. Furthermore, to communicate the state-of-the-art work related to the transformation of natural materials into value-added pharmaceutical inactive ingredients, a brief on the modification and fabrication of new biopolymers, and their characterization including the application in the textile and plastic industry has been emphasized. Moreover, the book presents updated information and addresses various issues on emerging new sources of biopolymers with multifunctional efficacy, food, and drug administrative regulatory requirements, with their impact on the ecosystem and human health. Additionally, the book also provides updated information on a meta-analysis of bio-based pharmaceutical excipients.

There are numerous books about biopolymers covering the scientific research that is enabling the new generation of degradable plastics. The goal of this handbook is to bring together some of the core knowledge in the field to provide a practical and wide-ranging guide for engineers, product designers, and scientists involved in the commercial development of biopolymers and their use in the various biomedical, environmental, and agro applications. Additionally, information on the impact of non-biodegradable materials on human health and the environment has been taken into consideration. This book gives a brief account of inactive ingredients originating from plants and their characterization techniques with pharmacokinetics. The book also covers a summary of the bibliometric meta-analysis of bio-based polymers.

We acknowledge Walailak University for extending the library facility and providing access to Scopus. Moreover, Dr. Ozioma F Nwabor, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla, Thailand is acknowledged for the valuable suggestions and critical comments.

Declared none.