Seaweed Polysaccharide-Based Nanoparticles: Preparation and Applications for Drug Delivery

Abstract

Abstract:In recent years, there have been major advances and increasing amounts of research on the utilization of natural polymeric materials as drug delivery vehicles due to their biocompatibility and biodegradability. Seaweed polysaccharides are abundant resources and have been extensively studied for several biological, biomedical, and functional food applications. The exploration of seaweed polysaccharides for drug delivery applications is still in its infancy. Alginate, carrageenan, fucoidan, ulvan, and laminarin are polysaccharides commonly isolated from seaweed. These natural polymers can be converted into nanoparticles (NPs) by different types of methods, such as ionic gelation, emulsion, and polyelectrolyte complexing. Ionic gelation and polyelectrolyte complexing are commonly employed by adding cationic molecules to these anionic polymers to produce NPs of a desired shape, size, and charge. In the present review, we have discussed the preparation of seaweed polysaccharide-based NPs using different types of methods as well as their usage as carriers for the delivery of various therapeutic molecules (e.g., proteins, peptides, anti-cancer drugs, and antibiotics). Seaweed polysaccharide-based NPs exhibit suitable particle size, high drug encapsulation, and sustained drug release with high biocompatibility, thereby demonstrating their high potential for safe and efficient drug delivery.

Biodegradable polymer films from seaweed polysaccharides: A review on cellulose as a reinforcement material

“…Cellulose has three reactive hydroxyl groups, whereas seaweed has hydroxyl, carboxyl and sulphate groups [5,111]. Therefore, cellulose readily interacts with seaweed by forming hydrogen bonds.…”

A Review of Current Research into the Biogenic Synthesis of Metal and Metal Oxide Nanoparticles via Marine Algae and Seagrasses

“…The cell walls present in seaweeds are composed of polysaccharides. These polysaccharides mainly consist of small sugar units linked via glycosidic bonds, which have hydrophilic surface groups such as carboxyl, hydroxyl, and sulfate groups [80]. Typical polysaccharides found in seaweeds include agar, alginate, carrageenan, fucoidan, and laminarin [81].…”

Absorption, distribution, metabolism and elimination (ADME) and toxicity profile of marine sulfated polysaccharides used in bionanotechnology

“…Since, most of these polysaccharides carry specific charges, they can be exploited in designing of mucoadhesive drug delivery system involving interactions with mucin. Among seaweed polysaccharides, alginates and carrageenans are extensively studied biopolymers for diverse applications in nanotechnology with positive outcomes with respect to particle size distribution, high drug incorporation efficiency, controlled drug release profile, easy penetration into target sites and biocompatibility paving the way for safe and effective drug delivery (Venkatesan et al, 2016;Rydahl et al, 2017). In the recent years, several studies have been reported on the use of fucoidan, ulvan and mauran as nanotechnology platforms, some of which are being discussed in very brief.…”