Table 3.
Examples of natural biomaterials used in VTE
| Natural Polymer | Origin | Characteristics | Limitations | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alginate | Brown algae |
- Rapid gelation - Economical |
- Low cell adhesion | [78–80] |
| Chitosan |
Arthropods Fungi |
- Soluble in acidic media - Gelation at physiological temperatures |
- Slow gelation rate | [81–84] |
| Collagen |
Porcine Bovine Murine |
- Most abundant protein in the body - Excellent bioactivities |
- Low viscosity | [41, 85, 86] |
| Fibrin | Plasma proteins | - Major component of the blood clot | - Poor shape fidelity | [87–89] |
| Gelatin |
Porcine Bovine Murine |
- Denaturized collagen - Low antigenicity |
- Liquification at physiological temperatures | [73, 90] |
| Hyaluronic acid | Bacteria |
- Structural simplicity - Receptor-ligand interactions |
- Lack of gelation abilities | [91, 92] |