Keratin for potential biomedical applications

Abstract

Keratin is a cysteine-rich fibrous protein. As a structural protein, keratin represents the major constituent in the appendageal structures conferring their structural features. Being copiously available in nature as a waste material and representing a burden if not appropriately reused, recycling of the keratinous materials is becoming indispensable. Over the past century, great efforts have been exerted towards the extraction, purification of keratins from their sources and the fabrication of value-added products. Thanks to their biocompatibility, biodegradability, unique physicochemical and biological properties, the use of keratins has revolutionized the field of bio-based materials with applications in regenerative medicine, tissue engineering, medical devices, drug delivery and sustained release systems. The current chapter discusses the history of keratin, its chemical structure, and the characteristic features, and the advancement made towards developing keratin-based biomaterials.