Polysaccharide-Based Hydrogels as Biomaterials in Drug Delivery

Abstract

The ever-increasing interest to utilize renewable polysaccharide-based hydrogels as biomaterials has created renewed interest in many disciplines including biomedicine, bioengineering, pharmacy, chemistry, and materials science. The volume of literature published in this area is quite extensive as the diversity of these materials seeks novel applications. The polysaccharide-based hydrogels as smart biomaterials have attracted much interest in drug delivery, bioengineering, and electronics domain. Recent advances in micro-and nanobiotechnology have led to renewed interest for targeting drugs, genes, and other biotherapeutics like proteins, small interfering RNA (siRNA), and peptides. These applications have progressed exponentially due to their similarities with soft tissue body components as well as being responsive to external stimuli like temperature, pH, electric and magnetic fields. This chapter covers recent developments and advances in hydrogels derived from natural polysaccharides as biomaterials.