Chapter 12 - Xanthan gum-based nanocarriers for therapeutic delivery

Abstract

Polysaccharides are an abundant class of natural materials that are well known for their biocompatibility, nontoxicity, biodegradability, and low cost. Owing to these, they have enormous applications in diverse areas. Among different polysaccharides, xanthan gum (XG) has received much scientific attention as its properties can be modified by an excellent technique called graft copolymerization. XG and its graft copolymers are used in diversified fields such as drug delivery devices, tissue engineering, dye removal from wastewater, etc. XG and its graft copolymers have been widely studied as matrices for tablets, nanoparticles, microparticles, hydrogels, patches, and scaffolds with different degrees of success. The emergence of nanotechnology has laid the groundwork for this growth, with the development and design of nanoparticles, nano vehicles with improved drug loading capacities, more surface area, and above all the invention of biodegradable nanocarriers. This chapter focuses on the most recent progress of XG-based nanocarriers with special attention to therapeutic delivery. In particular, the source, chemical composition, properties, and uses of XG along with the synthesis and fabrication of hydrogels for biomedical applications are discussed. The critical issues related to the use of XG-based carriers for therapeutic delivery along with a concluding note on possible future directions on this have also been included.