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Review
. 2022 Aug 9;9(8):376.
doi: 10.3390/bioengineering9080376.

Plant Polysaccharides in Engineered Pharmaceutical Gels

Juliana O Bahú  1 , Lucas R Melo de Andrade  2 , Raquel de Melo Barbosa  3 , Sara Crivellin  1 , Aline Pioli da Silva  4 , Samuel D A Souza  1 , Viktor O Cárdenas Concha  1   4 , Patrícia Severino  5   6 , Eliana B Souto  7   8
Affiliations
Review

Plant Polysaccharides in Engineered Pharmaceutical Gels

Juliana O Bahú et al. Bioengineering (Basel). .

Abstract

Hydrogels are a great ally in the pharmaceutical and biomedical areas. They have a three-dimensional polymeric structure that allows the swelling of aqueous fluids, acting as an absorbent, or encapsulating bioactive agents for controlled drug release. Interestingly, plants are a source of biogels, specifically polysaccharides, composed of sugar monomers. The crosslinking of these polymeric chains forms an architecture similar to the extracellular matrix, enhancing the biocompatibility of such materials. Moreover, the rich hydroxyl monomers promote a hydrophilic behavior for these plant-derived polysaccharide gels, enabling their biodegradability and antimicrobial effects. From an economic point of view, such biogels help the circular economy, as a green material can be obtained with a low cost of production. As regards the bio aspect, it is astonishingly attractive since the raw materials (polysaccharides from plants-cellulose, hemicelluloses, lignin, inulin, pectin, starch, guar, and cashew gums, etc.) might be produced sustainably. Such properties make viable the applications of these biogels in contact with the human body, especially incorporating drugs for controlled release. In this context, this review describes some sources of plant-derived polysaccharide gels, their biological function, main methods for extraction, remarkable applications, and properties in the health field.

Keywords: absorbent; bio-based; drug delivery; gums; hydrogels; lignocellulosic; scaffolds.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Schematic representation of the hydrogels’ classification (Adapted with permission from Ref. [4]. Copyright 2015, Elsevier).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Plant-derived polymers used in hydrogels’ development.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Classification of polymers by structure.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Description and illustration of methods for obtaining polymers.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Bio-gels derived from natural sources and their functions.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Lignocellulosic biomass: sources, extraction processes, and cellulose structure (Adapted with permission from Ref. [4]. Copyright 2015, Elsevier).
Figure 7
Figure 7
Hemicelluloses: Source from hardwoods, general structure, extraction routes, and derivatives mechanisms (Adapted with permission from Ref. [71]. Copyright 2017, Wiley).
Figure 8
Figure 8
Lignin: structure and extraction processes at different scales (Adapted with permission from Ref. [93]. Copyright 2020, Springer).
Figure 9
Figure 9
Inulin: sources and obtaining methods.
Figure 10
Figure 10
Pectin: sources, extraction method, and gelling mechanisms.
Figure 11
Figure 11
Starch: Sources, chemical composition, and extraction procedure (Adapted with permission from Ref. [141]. Copyright 2016, Elsevier).
Figure 12
Figure 12
Guar gum: origin, extraction procedure, and chemical structure (Adapted with permission from Ref. [161]. Copyright 2016, Elsevier.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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