ABSTRACT
Biocompatibility ............................................................................ 24 1.7 Novel Drug Dosage Forms on the Base of PHB ........................... 30 1.8 Conclusions .................................................................................... 35 Acknowledgments ................................................................................... 35 Keywords ................................................................................................ 35 References ............................................................................................... 35
1.1 INTRODUCTION
Currently, the intensive development of biodegradable and biocompatible materials for medical implication provokes comprehensive interdisciplinary studies on biopolymer structures and functions. The wellknown and applicable biodegradable polymers are polylactides (PLAs) and polyglycolides (PGA), and their copolymers, poly-ε-caprolactone, poly(orthoesters), poly-β-malic acid, poly(propylene fumarate), polyalkylcyanoacrylates, polyorthoanhydrides, polyphosphazenes, poly(propylene fumarate), some natural polysaccharides (starch, chitosan, alginates, agarose, dextran, chondroitin sulfate, and hyaluronic acid), and proteins (collagen, silk fibroin, spidroin, fibrin, gelatin, and albumin). As some of these polymers should be synthesized through chemical stages (e.g. via lactic and glycolic acids), it is not quite correct to define them as the biopolymers.
