First Published in 1986, this book offers a full, comprehensive guide to the application of hydrogels in medicine. Carefully compiled and filled with a vast repertoire of notes, diagrams, and references this book serves as a useful reference for students of medicine and other practitioners in their respective fields.

The conceptual process of drug discovery is one that is often the result of an identified need in a defined disease area. This need represents a mandate from the marketing department of a phar maceutical company or a breakthrough at the research level that has agreed applicability in response to a valid therapeutic demand. Although the intelligent design and development of new thera peutic entities, as evidenced by Sir James Black's H -receptor an 2 tagonist cimetidine (Tagamet), is intellectually satisfying, many novel drugs arise from serendipity, from the chance observation of the research scientist or the clinician, that a compound has unex pected actions of use for the treatment of human disease states. Drugs that have been identified by this route include the antipsy chotic chlorpromazine and the putative anxiolytic buspirone. The events surrounding the process of drug discovery and de velopment are the theme of the present volume, which attempts to present, in a logical and lucid manner, the complexity of a process that is often naively assumed to represent nothing more than the identification of a new compound and its rapid introduction into humans, free of such complications as efficacy, selectivity, safety, bioavailability, toxicity, and need.

Whey Processing, Functionality and Health Benefits provides a review of the current state of the science related to novel processes, functionality, and health benefit implications and documents the biological role of whey protein in selected areas that include muscle metabolism after exercise, muscle and body composition in the elderly, weight management, food intake regulation, and maintenance of bone mass. The topics addressed and the subject experts represent the best science knowledge base in these areas. In some of these areas, the state of the art and science are compelling, and emerging data are confirming and solidifying the human knowledge base. Collating the understanding and knowledge of the metabolic roles of whey protein and developing the clinical datasets that demonstrate efficacy for improving human health will speed up new product innovations and sustainable opportunities for the food industry as evidenced by the processing and functionality research conducted so far. Topics covered in this volume include: Whey utilization history and progress in process technology Fractionation and separation with health implications Whey emulsions and stability in acidic environments Current applications in films, coatings, and gels Texturized whey in snacks, meat analogs and candies Nanoparticles in hydrogels for delivery of bioactive components Whey protein role in human health Health and wellness, processing and functionality are clearly areas of continuing research and offer growth opportunity for the food industry. The benefits from such concentrated body of knowledge will be new ingredients and innovative products that improve overall wellbeing. Whey Processing, Functionality and Health Benefits provides food scientists and manufacturers insight into the health implications of whey protein science. Ultimately, the consumer will benefit from better formulated, healthier products.

Integrates the latest advances in polysaccharide chemistry and structure analysis, with the practical applications of polysaccharides in medicine and pharmacy, highlighting the role of glycoconjugates in basic biological processes and immunology. It also presents recent developments in glycobiology and glycopathology. The work covers bacterial, fungal and cell-wall polysaccharides, microbial and bacterial exopolysaccharides, industrial gums, the biosynthesis of bacterial polysaccharides, and the production of microbial polysaccharides.