Lignocellulosic Materials for Biomedical Applications

Recent advances in materials science and nanotechnology together with ecological awareness have increased interest in the development of green products. The biomedical industry is not an exemption and lignocellulosic biomaterials have become of great interest, given their inherent biocompatibility. Concurrently, they are part of bio-systems and offer great versatility as far as properties and availability. In their native state, lignocellulosic biomaterials, e.g., in wood, typically comprise cellulose (35–50 wt.%), hemicellulose (20–35 wt.%), and lignin (10–25 wt.%). For biomedical applications these three components are promising green resources. Since ancient times cellulose have been used in gauzes for treatment of wounds; presently, it offers a wide range of possibilities that have been opened by nanotechnologies. Cellulose assembly is similar to that of collagen, the major component of extracellular matrices, and its applications are diverse, ranging from three-dimensional scaffolds for tissue engineering, implants for cell regeneration, or cell labeling. Likewise, hemicelluloses bring their own potential, for example, in drug delivery systems where they excel in performance. Likewise, due to its chemical heterogeneity, lignin is an excellent source of bioactive components, displays antioxidant activity, and can be used in pathogen treatment. This chapter discusses some relevant biomedical applications of lignocellulosic biomaterials. It will also highlight applications of bacterial nanocellulose, which has the same chemical structure than vegetable cellulose, but brings some additional properties, especially those critical in biomedical fields. In the medium to long term, lignocellulosic biomaterials will play an important role for improving life quality, for helping in developing tissues and organs, and for accelerating healing processes.