Crosslinking Of Polysaccharides: Methods And Applications

Polysaccharides are polymers of simple sugar building blocks. Crosslinked polysaccharides are having many applications in pharmaceuticals.Different methods are available for crosslinking of polysaccharides. Different chemical and physical methods are summarized and discussed. Chemical crosslinking of polysaccharide is highly versatile method with good mechanical stability. However, the crosslinking agents used are not only affects the integrity of substances but are often toxic compounds, which have been extracted from gel before they can be applied. Such adverse effects are avoided with the use of physically crosslinked gels.