Biomedical applications of chemically and microbiologically synthesized poly(glutamic acid) and poly(lysine)

This review article deals with the synthesis, physiochemical properties, and potential biomedical applications of two homo-poly amino acids. Poly-alpha-glutamic acid (alpha-PGA) and poly-alpha-lysine (alpha-PL) were synthesized by chemical synthesis. poly-gamma-glutamic acid (gamma-PGA) and poly-epsilon-lysine (epsilon-PL) were naturally occurring bio-materials that were produced by microbial fermentation. Poly(glutamic acid) (PGA) and poly(lysine) (PL) are water soluble, biodegradable, edible and nontoxic toward humans and the environment. As a result, they are suitable for various applications and have recently attracted considerable interest of the chemical industry. The distinguished features of PGA and PL also make them promising candidates for biomedical applications. The applications of PGA and PL in the areas of biomedical materials, drug delivery carriers and biological adhesives have been studied extensively and will be discussed in this review.