Recent Insights into the Research of (Bio)Active Additives for Advanced Polymer Materials

Abstract

This review is an exhaustive analysis of the recent progress in the research of active and biologically active additives/ingredients. Fast-developing innovations during the last 3–5 years are included in every stage of their preparation from various resources, with valorization of the by-products and waste, characterization, arising problems with their applications, and an important role in the production of the advanced, high-performance materials. The two main well-known classes as natural (bio)active additives and nanoscaled active additives are discussed as it concerns, their types, classification, characteristic mode of action, green extraction and preparation, green synthesis, supplementary processing performed to achieve the suitable stability of the systems by micro-/nanoemulsification/encapsulation, complexation, etc., importance of the composition–activity relationships, biological effects, antimicrobial, antifungal, antioxidant potential, controlled/targeting release of (bio)active agents, the mechanisms of action of antimicrobials, antifungal and antioxidants synthesized in vivo or derived from the human diet, analytical methods for BACs characterization, degradation, toxicity concerns, a.s.o. The combinations of the two kinds of active additives (including even natural additives prepared at the nanosized level) are frequently used in research and scale-up production of new materials as important innovative solutions and challenges in various application fields, especially when their synergism appears, as will be detailed in the second part of this review.