in a comparatively economic way. In particular, they show
great promise in providing excellent barrier properties, due
to the presence of the clay layers able to delay the molecule
pathway making the diffusive path more tortuous. The
extraordinary success of the nanocomposite concept in the
area of synthetic polymers has stimulated new research
on nanocomposites based on biodegradable polymers as
matrix. Table 1 lists typical biodegradable polymers and
inorganic or antimicrobial materials investigated for the
preparation of bio-nanocomposites.