NATURAL POLYMER-BASED MICROBEADS FOR CONTROLLED DRUG DELIVERY: A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW

In recent times, there has been an increased search for new, safe, and sustainable alternatives to existing pharmaceutical excipients.This is because traditional pharmaceutical excipients synthesized in laboratories are considered toxic and pose adverse environmental concerns. Natural polymers have been considered promising materials for the preparation of pharmaceutical excipients in the form of microbeads for drug delivery. Microbeads are very fine, spherical, and multiparticulate formulations that can encapsulate drugs to release them in a controlled manner. This paper presents a comprehensive review of the recent developments in the production of microbeads based on natural polymers for medicinal application. It not only includes the information about other naturally produced copolymers such as tamarind seed polysaccharide, khaya gum, gum arabic, fenugreek seed mucilage, sweet potato starch, and kokilaksha seed mucilage, but it also encompasses the detail about other widely used natural polymers such as alginate, chitosan, gelatin, cellulose, chitin, and starch. Details about the physicochemical properties, methods of extraction, gelation properties, and applications of microbeads based on natural polymers are included. The method of microbead formulation, cross-linking processes, efficiency of encapsulation, and factors related to stability for pharmaceutical applications are also described. The applications and potential of microbeads made from natural polymers for their effectiveness in modern medicinal dosage systems are given emphasis.