Plant-derived materials for biomedical applications

Abstract

With exceptional biocompatibility and biodegradability, plant-derived materials have garnered significant interest for a myriad of biomedical applications. This mini-review presents a concise overview of prevalent plant-derived materials, encompassing polysaccharide-based polymers, protein-based polymers, extracellular vesicles, mucilage, decellularized scaffolds, and whole plant-based biomass. Through different processing techniques, these plant-derived materials can be tailored into a variety of forms, such as nanoparticles, nanofibers, and hydrogels, to address the nuanced requirements of biomedical applications. With the emphasis on wound healing, tissue engineering, and drug delivery, this review underscores the unique advantages of plant-derived materials, such as lower risk of endotoxin and virus contamination, reduced ethical concerns, scalability, and eco-friendly attributes. However, challenges such as the need for the development of standardized isolation methods of these materials, and further transition from preclinical to clinical applications still remain to be solved.