Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences and Health Engineering, Jiangnan University, Lihu Avenue No. 1800, Wuxi, 214122, People's Republic of China.
National Engineering Research Center for Cereal Fermentation and Food Biomanufacturing, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, People's Republic of China.
Appl Microbiol Biotechnol. 2022 Apr;106(7):2349-2366. doi: 10.1007/s00253-022-11882-6. Epub 2022 Mar 26.
Keratin is a kind of natural polymer that is abundant in feathers, wool, and hair. Being one of the natural biomolecules, keratin has excellent biological activity, biocompatibility, biodegradability, favorable material mechanical properties, and natural abundance, which exhibit significant biological and biomedical application potentials. At present, the strategies commonly used for preparing keratin from hair, feathers, wool, etc. include physical, chemical, and enzymatic methods. The present article mainly reviews the structure, classification, preparation methods, and the main biological applications of keratin, and these applications cover wound healing, hemostasis, targeted release of tissue engineering drugs, and so on. It is expected to lay the foundations for its future in-depth investigations and wide applications of keratin biomaterials. KEY POINTS: • There are several pathways to prepare biologically active keratin from wool, feathers, and human hair, etc • Promoting blood coagulation by keratin is related to the adhesion and activation of platelets and the aggregation of fibrin • The biological applications of keratin, including wound healing and tissue engineering, are summarized.
角蛋白是一种天然聚合物，在羽毛、羊毛和头发中含量丰富。作为天然生物分子之一，角蛋白具有优异的生物活性、生物相容性、可生物降解性、良好的材料机械性能和天然丰度，展现出显著的生物和生物医学应用潜力。目前，从头发、羽毛、羊毛等制备角蛋白常用的策略包括物理、化学和酶法。本文主要综述了角蛋白的结构、分类、制备方法及其在创伤愈合、止血、组织工程药物靶向释放等主要生物医学应用，有望为深入研究和广泛应用角蛋白生物材料奠定基础。
有多种途径可以从羊毛、羽毛和人发等制备具有生物活性的角蛋白。
角蛋白促进凝血与血小板黏附和激活以及纤维蛋白聚集有关。
总结了角蛋白在创伤愈合和组织工程等方面的生物学应用。
