Natural polymers, commonly include polysaccharides (chitin/chitosan, hyaluronic acid derivatives, alginate, etc.) and proteins (albumin, collagen, etc.), are non-toxic and biocompatible biomaterials widely used in various biomedical applications (such as drug and/or imaging agent delivery system, tissue regeneration scaffolds, as excipients in pharmaceutical formulations). Especially, alginate and chitosan are widely used for the preparation of drug delivery systems. Unfortunately, the primary drawback of both alginate and chitosan is the lack of strong mechanical properties. However, using the combination of these polymers can enhance their mechanical properties. Besides, the alginate-chitosan nanoparticles had higher drug encapsulation and a slower drug release due to the polyelectrolyte complex structure formed by the interaction between chitosan and alginate.
Primary Language | English |
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Subjects | Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences |
Journal Section | Reviews |
Authors | |
Publication Date | January 17, 2023 |
Published in Issue | Year 2021 Volume: 1 Issue: 1 |