N. Lagopati, E.A. Pavlatou
American Journal of Biomedical Science & Research (2020), 9 (1), 47-53
Alginic acid, also known as algin or alginate, is a natural carbohydrate, which is derived from marine brown algae, as well as some microorganisms. It can be used in various applications. In particular, alginate has shown great potential in the areas of wound healing, drug delivery, in vitro cell culture, and tissue engineering, allowing the categorization of it as a promising biomaterial, or a basic component of other biomaterials. The unique characteristics of alginic acid, such as the biocompatibility, the mild required gelation conditions, the low toxicity, the relative low cost and the simple modifications, allow the development of alginate hydrogels, and alginate derivatives with enhanced properties. The aim of this review, is to present an overview of the properties of alginate, shedding light on the current and potential applications and suggesting new perspectives for future studies.