Versatile Silk Polymers and Nanoparticles for Biomedical Applications

Biomaterials, both natural and synthetic, are used to create bioactive substances or as substrates to promote tissue regeneration. The main advantage of biomaterials is that they are nontoxic, biodegradable, and biocompatible, making them suitable for medical applications. Silk is a naturally occurring polymer found all over the world. It is produced by Bombyx mori. Numerous studies have been done to demonstrate silk’s biodegradability, strength, and other qualities, making it useful in biomedical applications. In the medical field, it has been used as a suture material for decades now but much more advances have been seen down the line. Sericin and fibroin are two silk proteins that are biowaste from sericulture as well as the textile industry which have got importance in the medical field lately. In this chapter, natural silk proteins mainly sericin and fibroin and their biomedical applications are discussed. This chapter also gives an idea of their applications in dentistry.