Chitosan: A Promising Biopolymer in Drug Delivery Applications

Drug delivery system with controlled release technology has emerged as a powerful tool for the treatment of various diseases. The therapeutic index of the active agent can be enhanced by increasing its stability, solubility and bioavailability, along with specific site delivery. Polymers have been playing an integral role as carrier in formulating an efficient drug delivery system by their stability, drug loading capacity and tunable properties. ‘Chitosan’ the natural cationic polymer derived from chitin has received growing attention mainly due to their biodegradable, biocompatible, non-toxic, mucoadhesive and ability to target specific delivery properties. Chitosan has itself many medicinal properties like antimicrobial, antioxidant, low immunogenicity etc. which enhance its potential in different biomedical applications. The various techniques for preparation of chitosan micro/nano particles are discussed in this review. Various types of chitosan based drug delivery systems are surveyed to elucidate its role in different biomedical applications.