FUNCTIONALIZATION OF POLYSACCHARIDES-VERSATILE STRATEGIES AND THEIR APPLICATIONS

Polysaccharides are composed of monosaccharide’s linked by glycosidic bonds. These are abundantly available and are obtained from renewable resources. Polysaccharides provide an array of primary structures and conformations used in the pharmaceutical industry. Natural polysaccharides properties can be substantially modulated by chemical, physical, and enzymatic modifications and have received increased attention to expanding the landscape of application of polysaccharides in diverse sectors. Modifying the natural polysaccharides properties and structures gives functionally improved polysaccharides with excellent bioavailability, biocompatibility, structural stability, and versatile chemical. By modifying the physicochemical properties of polysaccharides, systems like micelles, hydrogels, liposomes, niosomes and vesicles are produced. The modified polysaccharides have a remarkable application in gene delivery, targeted cancer therapy, delivery of the drug, wound dressings, tissue engineering, nanocarriers, biosensors, pharmaceutical formulations, agricultural applications, and food industry. This article covers different types of polysaccharides and distinct methodologies applied during the new modified synthesis of polysaccharides and also the study of their properties after modification. This review also highlights the application of these modified polysaccharides in various pharmaceutical, biomedical and allied fields.