Polysaccharide-based polymeric gels as drug delivery vehicles

Abstract Hydrogels are water-loving polymeric networks that have been explored as drug delivery carriers. Depending on the nature of the polymers, the hydrogels can exhibit biodegradable, biocompatible, hydrophilic, and exquisitely tunable nature. These properties of the hydrogels confer a variety of physicochemical features and controlled drug release profiles. The hydrogel matrices can be structured into different forms that may follow a suitable drug release mechanism. In this chapter, we have discussed different controlled release mechanisms of the therapeutic agents and types of hydrogel formulations. Suitable literature examples have also been included to represent the recent progress of polysaccharide-based biopolymeric hydrogels in sustained and controlled drug delivery applications.