Bioactive agents are substances that can influence an organism, tissue or cell. Examples include enzymes, drugs, vitamins, phytochemicals, and bioactive compounds.
Bioactive agents can be incorporated into polymers,[1] which has applications in drug delivery and commercial production of household goods and biomedical devices. In drug delivery systems, bioactive agents are loaded into enzyme-responsive polymers which can then be cleaved by target enzymes. Activation of the bioactive agents leads to the release of therapeutic cargos.