ABSTRACT
Since early times t humanity has been worrying about health trying to ensure good nutrition and a healthy environment. With the use of natural products, human beings discovered the medicinal and nutraceutical potential of some plants for the treatment of diseases, that is, the cure by nature. Nevertheless, with the advancement of technology this awareness has been partially lost leading the Planet to the edge of environmental chaos. However, with the development of biotechnology, "any technological application that uses biological systems, living organisms, or derivatives thereof, to make or modify products or processes for specific use", awareness is returning and currently medicines and manufacturing of biodegradable raw material or that can be reused are some of the products generated. Consequently, natural biodegradable polymers appear as an alternative to reduce the amount of plastic waste and have been used widely in the most diverse areas, including health. Natural biodegradable polymers also known as biopolymers are formed during the growth cycle of living organisms and their synthesis generally involves reactions catalyzed by enzymes from activated monomers, which are formed within cells by metabolic processes. This chapter aims to provide a view of recent applications of natural biodegradable polymers in healthcare, more specifically, proteins and carbohydrates.
