"Alginates: Recent Uses of This Natural Polymer" ed. by Leonel Pereira, João Cotas

This book covers the latest uses of this phycocolloid in the pharmaceutical, medical, and technological fields, namely bioink for 3D bioprinting in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, and the application of artificial intelligence in modern healthcare systems.

Alginates are polysaccharides found in both the intercellular matrix of brown algae and extracellularly covering some species of bacteria. Alginate varies in composition of the algae from 20% to 60% dry matter, but on average brown algae species has 40% alginate. Alginate from brown algae occurs as gels containing sodium, calcium, strontium, magnesium, and barium ions. They are widely used by the food industry, giving foods texture properties such as thickening, adhesion, emulsification, gelling, or fullness.


Contents
1.Introductory Chapter: Alginates - A General Overview
2.Pharmacological Effects and Utility as a Food Additive of Calcium Alginate
3.Current Perspective and Advancements of Alginate-Based Transplantation Technologies
4.The Use of Alginate Hydrogels for the Culture of Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs): In Vitro and In Vivo Paradigms
5.Alginate-Based Hydrogels in Regenerative Medicine
6.Role of Alginates Combined with Natural Extracts to Prevent the Gastric Acid-Related Damage
7.Importance of Alginate Bioink for 3D Bioprinting in Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine
8.Application of Artificial Intelligence in Modern Healthcare System