World Journal of
Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences

NATURAL POLYSACCHARIDES AS NOVEL EXCIPIENTS FOR MODIFIED DRUG DELIVERY SYSTEMS: A REVIEW

Srijita Dutta*

ABSTRACT

The use of natural excipients to deliver the bioactive agents has been hampered by the synthetic materials. However advantages offered by these natural excipients are their being non-toxic, less expensive and freely available. The performance of the excipients partly determines the quality of the medicines. Excipients are any component other than the active substance intentionally added to formulation of a dosage form. The traditional view that excipients are inert and do not exert any therapeutic or biological action or modify the biological action of the drug substance has changed and it is now recognized that excipients can potentially influence the rate and/or extent of absorption of a drug. As herbal excipients are non toxic and compatible, they have a major role to play in pharmaceutical formulation. The use of natural excipients to deliver the bioactive agents has been hampered by the synthetic materials. Novel drug delivery systems are developed to address the challenges of drug development such as bioavailability, permeability, and poor solubility. Global excipient markets are expected to grow rapidly with the emerging trends in the pharmaceutical industry. This article gives an overview of natural excipients which are used in conventional dosage forms as well as novel drug delivery systems. This review discusses majority of the natural excipients, their sources, chemical constituents, uses and some recent investigations in novel drug delivery systems.

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