A comprehensive review of PLA-blended biocomposites and their application in biomedical and food packagings

Poly (lactic acid) PLA based biodegradable polymers and their bio composites are found to be promising as an alternative to the non-biodegradable plastics that are harmful for the environment and humans. These biodegradable and biocompatible polymers have great prospect in applications especially food packaging and bio medical. In bio medical, these have been used in drug delivery, tissue engineering, gene delivery, bone regeneration, and antibacterial biomaterials. This is due to their mechanical, physiological, and chemical properties in addition to their improved functionality, processibility, and sensitivity toward stimuli. The current review sought to highlight the main findings of research on improvements in properties of PLA and its bio composites by blending it with other polymers, adding biomaterials and the applicability of such biopolymers in food packaging and biomedical applications. Further, the advantages and disadvantages followed by challenges in PLA based bio composites and their possible solutions have also been discussed. [GRAPHICS] .