The marine ecosystem is a unique and complex system whose main characteristic is its great biodiversity, representing a variation of different life forms. It involves a wide variety of marine organisms, with great chemical diversity, which are rich sources of secondary metabolites relative to terrestrial organisms. Marine ecosystems have great potential for the development of high-value bioactive substances and biomaterials. In 1967, a bioactive substance called sea cucumber was extracted from marine organisms. This discovery has stimulated intensive research into marine biomaterials. Until today, an increasing number of biomaterials are being isolated from marine organisms. Due to their outstanding bioactivity, unique chemical structure, good biocompatibility, low toxicity and appropriate degradability, marine biomaterials are used in a wide variety of fields such as biomedicine, cosmetics and nutraceuticals.
The development stage of marine biomaterials
Marine biomaterials undergo roughly four major stages of development. Details are described below.
- In the first stage, studies were focused on coral bone graft substitutes. The hydroxyapatite manufactured from marine corals is a biomaterial. This material is similar to natural bone and has considerable osteoconductivity, good biocompatibility and is non-toxic. The application of this biomaterial in vivo lays the foundation for future in-depth research into marine biomaterials.
- In the second stage, the polysaccharide-based biomaterials were extensively developed. Chitin, discovered in 1972, is the most abundant polysaccharide of marine origin. However, it was not until the early 21st century that chitin received the attention it deserved. In 2007, chitin was discovered as a significant component of skeletal fibers in certain classes of marine sponges [1]. A series of studies have shown that chitin has low toxicity, biocompatibility, biodegradability, and possesses haemostatic activity and antibacterial ability.
- In the third stage, the focus of the research shifted to collagen of marine origin. The risk of pathogen exposure produced by animal-derived collagen is increasing. This has greatly stimulated the exploration of new collagen alternatives. In general, marine-derived collagen is devoid of human pathogen. Its low immunogenicity, good biocompatibility and biodegradability make it a highly valuable marine biomaterial.
- In the fourth stage, marine-derived composites are combined with other materials through advanced methods such as nanotechnology and three dimensional (3D) printing. Such composites will have better mechanical and biological properties and hold great promise for future applications. For example, hybrid scaffolds have been fabricated from eel skin-derived collagen and alginate hydrogels by 3D printing techniques. The hybrid scaffold was able to exhibit enhanced metabolic and cell proliferative activity [2].
Our products
The important sources of marine biomaterials are fish, invertebrates, mammals, reptiles, fungi, and corals. For example, fish skin is a rich source of marine collagen and algae are a rich source of several marine polysaccharides. Alfa Chemistry has the ability to extract high quality marine biomaterials from the above sources. Depending on your different needs, you can choose from the following products.
Alfa Chemistry has a deep research foundation in the field of marine chemistry and is committed to providing customers with a wide range of marine biomaterials. If you do not find what you need, please contact us. We also offer product customization according to customer's detailed requirements.
References
- Ehrlich, H.; et al. First evidence of chitin as a component of the skeletal fibers of marine sponges. Part I. Verongidae (demospongia: Porifera). J. Exp. Zool. B Mol. Dev. Evol. 2007, 308: 347-356.
- Govindharaj, M.; et al. Valorization of discarded marine eel fish skin for collagen extraction as a 3D printable blue biomaterial for tissue engineering. J. Clean. Prod. 2019, 230: 412-419.
For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic or therapeutic procedures.
