Renewable Resources for Functional Polymers and Biomaterials: Polysaccharides, Proteins and Polyesters (Polymer Chemistry Series, Volume 1) - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1849732450 ISBN 13: 9781849732451

Publisher: Royal Society of Chemistry, 2011

Synopsis

This book details polysaccharides and other important biomacromolecules covering their source, production, structures, properties, and current and potential application in the fields of biotechnology and medicine. It includes a systematic discussion on the general strategies of isolation, separation and characterization of polysaccharides and proteins. Subsequent chapters are devoted to polysaccharides obtained from various sources, including botanical, algal, animal and microbial.

In the area of botanical polysaccharides, separate chapters are devoted to the sources, structure, properties and medical applications of cellulose and its derivatives, starch and its derivatives, pectins, and exudate gums, notably gum arabic. Another chapter discusses the potential of hemicelluloses (xylans and xylan derivatives) as a new source of functional biopolymers for biomedical and industrial applications. The algal polysaccharide, alginate, has significant application in food, pharmaceuticals and the medical field, all of which are reviewed in a separate chapter. Polysaccharides of animal origin are included with separate chapters on the sources, production, biocompatibility, biodegradability and biomedical applications of chitin (chitosan) and hyaluronan. With the increasing knowledge and applications of genetic engineering there is also an introduction in the book to nucleic acid polymers, the genome research and genetic engineering.

Proteins and protein conjugates are covered, with one chapter providing a general review of structural glycoproteins, fibronectin and laminin, together with their role in the promotion of cell adhesion in vascular grafts, implants and tissue engineering. Another chapter discusses general aspects of a number of industrial proteins, including casein, caseinates, whey protein, gluten and soy proteins, with emphasis on their medical applications, and with reference to the potential of bacterial proteins. Another natural polymer resource, microbial polyesters, although small compared with polysaccharides and proteins, is also gaining increasing interest in biomedical technology and other industrial sectors. One chapter, therefore, is devoted to microbial polyesters, with comprehensive coverage of their biosynthesis, properties, enzymic degradation and applications.

By dealing with biopolymers at the molecular level, the book is aimed at the biomedical and wider materials science communities and provides an advanced overview of biopolymers at the graduate and postgraduate level. In addition it will appeal to both academic and industrial life scientists who are involved in research and development activities in the medical and biotechnology field.

About this title

About the Author

Peter A Williams is Professor of Polymer and Colloid Chemistry and Director of the Centre for Water Soluble Polymers at the North East Wales Institute. Has published over 170 scientific papers and edited over 30 books. He is Editor-in-Chief of the international journal Food Hydrocolloids. His research is in the area of physicochemical characterisation, solution properties and interfacial behaviour of both natural and synthetic polymers. Recent work has been involved with the determination of molecular mass distribution using flow field flow fractionation coupled to light scattering, rheological behaviour of polymer solutions and gels, associative and segregative interaction of polysaccharides, development of polysaccharide-protein complexes as novel emulsifiers.

From the Back Cover

The importance of renewable based materials has lead to a renaissance in the chemistry of biomacromolecules and their expansive functional properties. This book covers the source, production, structures and properties of some of the most important biomacromolecules with applications in the fields of biotechnology and medicine. Particular attention is given to polysaccharides obtained from botanical, algal, animal and microbial sources; microbial polyesters; the glycoproteins fibronectin and laminin as well as an introduction to nucleic acid polymers and genetic engineering.

Aimed at both the biomedical and wider materials science communities, the overview of biopolymers at the graduate and post graduate level will appeal to both academic and industrial scientists who are involved in research and development activities.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Renewable Resources for Functional Polymers and Biomaterials

By Peter A. Williams

The Royal Society of Chemistry

Copyright © 2011 Royal Society of Chemistry
All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-84973-245-1

Contents

Chapter 1 Natural Polymers: Introduction and Overview Peter A. Williams, 
Chapter 2 Natural Polymer Resources: Isolation, Separation and Characterization Werner Praznik, Renate Löppert and Anton Huber, 
Chapter 3 Cellulose and Its Derivatives in Medical Use Tohru Shibata, 
Chapter 4 Xylan and Xylan Derivatives – Basis of Functional Polymers for the Future Thomas Heinze and Stephan Daus, 
Chapter 5 Starch and its Derived Products: Biotechnological and Biomedical Applications John F. Kennedy, Charles J. Knill, Liu Liu and Parmjit S. Panesar, 
Chapter 6 Gum Arabic and other Exudate Gums Glyn O. Phillips and Aled O. Phillips, 
Chapter 7 Alginates: Existing and Potential Biotechnological and Medical Applications Kurt I. Draget and Gudmund Skjåk-Bræk, 
Chapter 8 Pectins: Production, Properties and Applications H.U. Endress, 
Chapter 9 Hyaluronan: a Simple Molecule with Complex Character Koen P. Vercruysse, 
Chapter 10 Chitin and Chitosan: Sources, Production and Medical Applications Thomas Kean and Maya Thanou, 
Chapter 11 β-Glucans Steve W. Cui, Qi Wang and Mei Zhang, 
Chapter 12 Microbial Polyesters: Biosynthesis, Properties, Biodegradation and Applications Chang-Sik Ha and Won-Ki Lee, 
Chapter 13 Glycoproteins and Adhesion Ligands: Properties and Biomedical Applications B.K. Mann and S.D. Turner, 
Chapter 14 Nucleic Acid Polymers and Applications of Recombinant DNA Technology Ian Holt and Y. Chan N. Pham, 
Subject Index, 

CHAPTER 1

Natural Polymers: Introduction and Overview

PETER A. WILLIAMS

Glyndwr University, Plas Coch, Mold Road, Wrexham LL11 2AW, UK

1.1 Introduction to Biopolymers

Proteins and polysaccharides are found abundantly in nature and are major constituents of plants, animals and micro-organisms serving a number of important functions. Proteins are composed of amino acids and although there are hundreds of different proteins they all consist of linear chains of the same twenty L-a-amino acids which are linked through peptide bonds formed by a condensation reaction. Each amino acid contains an amino group and carboxylic acid group with the general formula:

[FORMULA NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII]

The R group differs for the various amino acids and can impart polar, non-polar, anionic or cationic characteristics. The amino acid units are linked together through a peptide bond to form a polypeptide chain as illustrated below:

[FORMULA NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII]

Proteins consisting of between 15 and 10 000 amino acids are known. Since proteins contain both cationic and anionic charges due to the presence of ionisable groups, notably amine and carboxyl, they have a characteristic isoelectric point which corresponds to the pH at which the molecules have a net zero charge.

There are various levels of protein structure. The protein primary structure is defined by the characteristic sequence of amino acids of the polypeptide chain. Certain amino acids within the chain give rise to local secondary structures such as the a helix and the pleated sheet. There is a tendency for the more hydrophobic amino acids present to reside within the core of the molecule so that they are less exposed to the aqueous environment, and the overall shape of the protein that is formed (the tertiary structure) is stabilised by a range of interactions

Edition details

• Publisher: Royal Society of Chemistry
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 1849732450
• ISBN 13: 9781849732451
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 456
• Editor: Williams Peter A