Natural polymers and the hydrogels prepared from them

Polymers are versatile materials composed of repeating structural units forming a macromolecule. The three major classes of polymers based on their origin are natural polymers, semisynthetic polymers, and synthetic polymers. Natural polymers are of natural origins such as from plants, microorganisms, and animals. They include carbohydrates and proteins, which provide structural support to plants and animals. There are six main types of natural polymer: proteins, polysaccharides, polynucleotides, polyisoprenes, polyesters, and lignin. As compared to the other two classes, natural polymers are economical, readily available, potentially biodegradable, and biocompatible due to their origin [۱,۲]. Many of these polymers are a part of our day-to-day diet and also possess significant scope in drugs, prosthetics, pharmaceuticals, food, and cosmetic industries [۱]. Some of these widely used natural polymers based on polysaccharides and proteins are discussed in the following section.

Keywords:

Hydrogels , cross-linked network , Natural polymers