Characteristics of Marine Biomaterials and Their Applications in Biomedicine

Mar Drugs. 2022 May 31;20(6):372. doi: 10.3390/md20060372.

Abstract

Oceans have vast potential to develop high-value bioactive substances and biomaterials. In the past decades, many biomaterials have come from marine organisms, but due to the wide variety of organisms living in the oceans, the great diversity of marine-derived materials remains explored. The marine biomaterials that have been found and studied have excellent biological activity, unique chemical structure, good biocompatibility, low toxicity, and suitable degradation, and can be used as attractive tissue material engineering and regenerative medicine applications. In this review, we give an overview of the extraction and processing methods and chemical and biological characteristics of common marine polysaccharides and proteins. This review also briefly explains their important applications in anticancer, antiviral, drug delivery, tissue engineering, and other fields.

Keywords: biomedical applications; collagen; extraction methods; marine biomaterials; marine polysaccharides; tissue engineering.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Aquatic Organisms / chemistry
  • Biocompatible Materials* / chemistry
  • Biocompatible Materials* / pharmacology
  • Polysaccharides / chemistry
  • Polysaccharides / pharmacology
  • Regenerative Medicine / methods
  • Tissue Engineering* / methods

Substances

  • Biocompatible Materials
  • Polysaccharides