Product development, opportunities/challenges

It is hoped that this overview of the properties and applications of natural thickeners and their derivatives has served to illustrate the versatility of these materials. This relatively small group of products continue to present the scientists with a challenge in terms of understanding their functionality and the formulator with an opportunity in terms of innovative product development. 

The aforementioned topics demonstrate both the complexities and opportunities for development of new and effective antimicrobial agents for fibrous and polymeric materials. There are several challenges in their development. These challenges are the production of such materials that are cost-effective, environmentally benign, have selective toxicity to the microbes and not to mammalian and other species, and design of the agent/material to minimize or prevent the microbes from exhibiting their innate or acquired resistance. 

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