Biopolymeric Nanocomposites in Drug Delivery

Abstract

There is a growing interest in the development of biopolymeric nanocomposite materials for application in various biomedical areas particularly in drug delivery. This is because such materials are environmentally friendly, non-toxic, biocompatible, biodegradable, and present desirable functionalities compared to the synthetic polymers. Moreover, as the ultimate goal of the drug delivery systems is their application by human beings and animals, it is very important that the designed drug delivery systems (DDSs) possess the above-mentioned characteristics. So far, a number of nanocomposites have been prepared for drug delivery purposes using diverse biopolymers and nanomaterials. The most common nanomaterials include silver, gold, ZnO, TiO2, silica and clay nanoparticles, carbon quantum dots, carbon nanotubes, graphene, hydroxyapatite, and bioglass. Moreover, mixed nanocomposites of such nanomaterials such as core-shell, yolk-shell, and coupled/impregnated nanostructured compounds have been prepared and used as drug carriers and then they were loaded into the polymeric matrix. Furthermore, some nanocomposites are fabricated using polymers as cores and nanomaterials as a shell or vice versa. These drug delivery platforms have the capability of simultaneously carrying different pharmaceutics, vitamins, and pharmaceutical grade supplements required for the patients’ treatment. This chapter offers the most recent significant researches on various biopolymeric nanocomposites in drug delivery using biomacromolecules including chitosan, carboxymethyl chitosan, alginate, hyaluronic acid, cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, starch, gellan gum, gum acacia/gum arabic, guar gum, gelatin, chondroitin sulfate, pectin, and collagen.