Alginate (ALG) is a natural anionic polymer typically extracted from brown seaweed. The biological and physical properties of ALG in aqueous media are dependent on the M/G ratio and also on the distribution of M and G units along the polymer chain. Pharmaceutical industries make use of purified ALG as thickener, stabilizer in solution and dispersion of solid substances. In addition, the ALG solid-micro-spheres can also be employed as cell microcarriers, which is essentially an injectable cell scaffold for tissue engineering. ALG gels are therefore promising candidates for cell transplantation and pharmaceutical applications. The raw material for ALG production is the brown algae which grow abundantly in the ocean all over the world. ALG gels are being used extensively for the regeneration and engineering of numerous tissues such as skeletal.
ROBIN AUGUSTINE,1 BHAVANA VENUGOPAL, S. SNIGDHA,1 NANDAKUMAR KALARIKKAL,1,2,4 and SABU THOMAS1,31International and Interuniversity Centre for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, 2School of Pure and Applied Physics, 3School of Chemical Sciences, Mahatma Gandhi University, Priyadarshini Hills P.O., Kottayam – 686 560, Kerala, India4Department of Biotechnology, St. Joseph's College, Irinjalakuda, Thrissur – 680 121, Kerala, India; E-mail: Sabu Thomas (sabupolymer@yahoo.com), Nandakumar Kalarikkal (nkkalarikkal@ mgu.ac.in)Abstract ................................................................................................. 240 8.1 Introduction .................................................................................. 240 8.2 Structure of Polyuronates ............................................................. 240 8.3 Properties of Polyuronates ........................................................... 243 8.4 Crosslinking of Polyuronates ....................................................... 243 8.5 Polyuronates in Drug Delivery .................................................... 247 8.6 Cosmetic Applications of Polyuronates ....................................... 259 8.7 Conclusions .................................................................................. 263 Keywords ............................................................................................. 263 References ............................................................................................. 264ABSTRACTPolyuronates or polyuronides are polysaccharides containing one or more uronic acid moieties in their molecular structures. Pectins and alginates are the most commonly used polyuronides in everyday applications. Their ability to form highly crosslinked gels in the presence of bivalent or multivalent cations makes them suitable for many applications such as drug delivery and cosmetics. In drug delivery, these substances are used as controlled drug delivery systems. Capability to tune the crosslinking density by varying the crosslinking agents, concentration of crosslinking agents, crosslinking time and pH, make these substances ideal candidates for the controlled delivery of therapeutic agents. The gel forming ability makes them suitable for wide array of cosmetic applications ranging from moisturizing cream to dermal fillers.
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