Chapter 11 - Xanthan-based nanomaterials for drug delivery applications

Abstract

Like other natural polysaccharides, xanthan gum (XG) is known to be nontoxic, biodegradable, and biocompatible. Due to these properties, XG appears to be a potential material for drug delivery and biomedical applications. A plethora of reports describe its utility as suspending and emulsifying agents in the pharmaceutical and food industries. Further, XG and its derivatives have been examined as a release retardant for controlled drug delivery. In addition to its oral controlled delivery potential, its ability to deliver drug molecules through buccal, transdermal, vaginal, and ophthalmic routes is also narrated. XG material has been appraised as a replacement of a synthetic reducing agent for the production of metal nanoparticles. XG graft copolymer nanoparticles are also developed for colon targeting. Lipid nanoparticles incorporated into XG hydrogels have shown promise as vehicles for topical drug delivery. XG-based nanocomposite materials also exist in the literature for various applications. This chapter summarizes the findings reported on XG-based nanomaterials for drug delivery applications.