Natural polymers, gums and mucilages as efficacious green emissaries of essential therapeutics

Abstract

The emergence of natural polymers like gums and mucilages in drug delivery systems has curbed the rampant use of the synthetic materials for therapeutic purposes. Natural excipients offered advantages such as non-toxicity, less cost and abundantly availablity. Aqueous solubility of natural excipients plays an important role in their selection for designing immediate, controlled or sustained release formulations. This review article provide an overview of natural gum, polymers and mucilages as excipients in dosage forms as well as novel drug delivery systems.These recent investigations have provided ample evidences that these natural gums and mucilages like Gellan Gum,Gum Acacia,Locust bean gum could efficaciously deliver therapeutics to the diseased site without exerting any significant adverse effects on the normal cells. Hencefoth these natural polymers are endowed with the ability to function as like green emissaries for the transport of essential therapeutic agents which in turn will help in restraining the belligerence of different grave diseases like cancer.