Strategy for Biosynthesis of Polyhydroxyalkonates Polymers/Copolymers and Their Application in Drug Delivery

Drug delivery technology is an emerging field to improve health, and there is considerable interest to use biodegradable biomaterial in drug delivery. Polyhydroxyalkonate (PHA) is a natural origin polymer and getting attention for drug delivery due to its biodegradability and biocompatible properties. PHA with different monomer compositions has different physical and chemical properties which further affect drug loading and release. PHA polymers of different monomer composition can be synthesized using various approaches such as metabolic engineering, precursor feedings, etc. PHA polymers in their intrinsic form or block copolymers forms can be used to prepare different structure such as microsphere, naonparticles, nanofiber, and scaffold, etc. Drug and pharmaceutically active molecule loaded PHA material carrier can be delivered through oral, intravenous or subcutaneous route. Selection of drug delivery route depends on the nature and required dose of drug. Drug release from the polymeric material occurs through osmosis, diffusion or biodegradation mechanism. Composition of polymeric material affects its drug release behavior. This chapter discusses the various trends in PHA polymer production and their application in drug delivery.