Grafted polysaccharides as advanced pharmaceutical excipients

Abstract Polysaccharides, the natural polymers with excellent biocompatibility, biodegradability and biological properties, have been extensively applied in the field of pharmacy. To overcome the limitation of homopolymers, a series of polysaccharide derivatives with new properties have been extensively exploited for pharmaceutical applications. Thus, the aim of this chapter is to explore the potential application of grafted polysaccharides as pharmaceutical excipients. First of all, the properties of natural polysaccharides, such as chitosan, alginate, hyaluronic acid, carrageenan, pectin and pullulan were introduced. Thereafter, various methods for modifying the polysaccharides and polysaccharides derivatives with new properties were presented. Then, various applications of grafted polysaccharides in advanced drug delivery were summarized.