**3.1. The literature survey of renewable materials‐based composites deposited by laser techniques**

In this chapter, we focused biomaterials based on renewable resources in form of thin films fabricated by laser‐based concepts for obtaining functionalized medical implants. The first example refers to silk fibroin and composite HA‐fibroin coatings deposited by MAPLE [63]. Silks are fibrous proteins synthesized in specialized epithelial cells of Lepidoptera larvae such as silkworms, spiders, scorpions, flies and mites.

The studies of Miroiu et al. [63] showed that compared to the simple fibroin or HA thin films, obtained implants exhibit an intermediary topography, favorable to bone cells anchorage and proliferation. On the same time, it resulted that the fibroin content in films was a mixture of preponderantly random coil with crystalline forms, β‐sheet and α‐helix. The renewable silk fibroin composite evidenced by *in‐vitro* viability tests appropriate bone cell behavior nontox‐ icity, good spreading and normal cell morphology [63].

Next, biocomposite silk fibroin‐poly(3‐hydroxybutyric‐acid‐co‐3‐hydroxyvaleric‐acid) bio‐ degradable functionalized implants were grown by MAPLE [64]. Silk fibroin and poly(3‐ hydroxybutyric‐acid‐co‐3‐hydroxyvaleric‐acid—PHVB) are both natural biopolymers with excellent biocompatibility, but different biodegradability rates and tensile strength proper‐ ties. They were combined in a composite in order to improve their properties as coatings for biomedical uses. The physical‐chemical properties of the composite coatings and princi‐ pally their degradation behavior in simulated body fluid were investigated as primary step of applicability in local controlled drug release. It was demonstrated that higher PHBV contents enhance the resistance and lead to a slower degradation rate of composite coat‐ ings [64].

Another MAPLE studies related to synthesis of poly(d,l‐lactide‐co‐glycolide) (PLGA) particle systems were reported by Socol et al. [65]. PLGA + polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), PLGA + PVA +  bovine serum albumin (BSA) and PLGA + PVA + chitosan nanoparticles were prepared by an oil‐in‐water emulsion‐diffusion‐evaporation method and afterwards were transferred in form of thin film for local‐controlled drug delivery. *In vitro* investigations exhibited that the distribution and morphology of osteoblast‐like SaOs‐2 cells on some PLGA particle coatings were comparable with that of control [65].

Further, considerable attention has been focused on development and utilization of secondary metabolites of plants (phytochemicals) as a substitute to and/or in combination with traditional antibiotics for treating infections. Between the phytochemicals, flavonoids are perfect candi‐ dates because they are extensively distributed in edible plants and possess broad pharmaco‐ logic activity [66]. Flavonoids are a group of heterocyclic organic compounds frequently found in vegetables, fruit, flowers, nuts, wine, seeds, stems, tea, honey and propolis [66]. Composite thin films of biopolymer (polyvinylpyrrolidone), flavonoid (quercetin dihydrate and resvera‐ trol)‐biopolymer and silver nanoparticles biopolymer were deposited using MAPLE method demonstrating the anti‐inflammatory, antispasmodic, anti‐allergic and antimicrobial proper‐ ties obtained effects [66].

Furthermore, C‐MAPLE was used for transfer and immobilization of Fibronectin (FN) and poly‐d,l‐lactide as a new strategy for the controlled release applications of biologically active substances as proteins and drugs [45].
