Biopolymers are naturally found material and most of the materials are made in nature during the life cycles of plants, animals, fungi and bacteria. For any pharmaceutical formulation the two main ingredients are active pharmaceutical ingredient and excipients. As excipients in any kind of dosage form, the biopolymers play a vital function. Biopolymers are pharmacologically inert ingredients formulated along with the active ingredient to increase the volume; they help in the formulating dosage form and also simultaneously can improve the physicochemical parameters of the dosage form and so are widely used in the development of new drug delivery system. The biopolymers which are obtained from animal sources are usually non-toxic, biocompatible, stable and economic; and can control the release pattern of the drug. Natural polymers have more preponderant effects on fast dissolving tablets than synthetic polymers. Now-a-days, because of many problems regarding drug release and adverse effects of synthetic polymers, manufacturers are going towards using natural polymers. In this review article we mainly discussed about types of polymer, different alignment of natural polymer, advantages of natural polymers over synthetic polymers, drawbacks of natural polymers, mechanism of drug release of polymer, different methods of preparation of biopolymers, role of polymer in pharmaceutical industry and drug delivery systems. Keywords: Natural polymers, Chitin, Collagen, Sources, Preparation.

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Starch has cropped up as a new attractive biopolymer for use in pharmaceutical applications, owing to its distinctive physical, chemical and functional properties. This biopolymer has a number of potential advantages like being biocompatible, low cost, easily isolated from plant sources and non-toxic in nature. In the field of pharmaceutical science, starch is used as a raw material for the development of various drug delivery platforms. Generally, cassava starch (tapioca) is obtained from swollen roots of the perennial shrub Manihot esculenta and it contains a low amount of amylose in contrast to other varieties of starches. Because of this reason, cassava starch exhibits various prime benefits including little gelatinization temperature, higher swelling power and produces relatively high viscosity paste, making it preferable as an excipient for pharmaceutical applications. However, cassava starches in their native form are offensive for many applications due to their inefficiency to withstand various processing requirements like high temperature and diverse pH, but their use is enhanced by starch modification. These functional starches have demonstrated outstanding potential as primary excipients in a number of pharmaceutical formulations. In this article, we discuss the potential application of cassava starches in the pharmaceutical and biomedical fields along with the toxicity assessment of modified cassava starches.

Allergic conjunctivitis (AC) is an inflammation of the conjunctiva due to allergens that come in contact with the eye. Seasonal AC and perennial AC are the most commonly encountered subtypes. Each can be identified by itching, tearing, and swelling or inflammation of the eye, and these symptoms can contribute to decreased quality of life for patients. Many patients will seek symptomatic relief with topical ophthalmic formulations. Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians should be familiar with the clinical presentation of AC to best recommend appropriate treatments for AC. This review illustrates counselling interactions between a patient and a pharmacist to provide a clear understanding about recommending over-the-counter treatment options for patients. Effective communication is a cornerstone for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians to optimize patient management and relay vital information for the management of AC, such as assisting patients with therapies that can help provide relief of symptoms.