Natural Products: A Minefield of Biomaterials

Table 2

The advantages and disadvantages of natural polymers [72].

S/N	Advantages	Disadvantages
1	No problem with toxicity or foreign body response	A major issue is immunological reaction. Body’s immune system recognizes foreign material and tries to destroy it
2	Can function biologically at molecular level, not just macroscopic level	High natural variability
3	If desired, natural degradation can occur in the body via natural enzymes. Can also add cross-links to make less degradable	Structurally more complex than traditional materials. Technological manipulation is more elaborate