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Research Progress of Polysaccharide-Gold Nanocomplexes in Drug Delivery

Summary

Scientists are combining polysaccharides (natural compounds found in plants and organisms) with tiny gold particles to create better drug delivery systems. These hybrid nanoparticles can transport medicines directly to cancer cells while reducing side effects and improving treatment effectiveness. The review discusses how these gold-polysaccharide combinations can also fight bacteria and viruses, making them useful for various medical applications beyond cancer therapy.

Background

Polysaccharides are natural polymers with diverse biological activities including antitumor, antioxidant, and immunomodulatory properties. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) possess superior properties such as biocompatibility, surface modifiability, and photothermal effects. The combination of polysaccharides with AuNPs represents a promising approach to overcome limitations of traditional drug delivery systems.

Objective

This review aims to elucidate the preparation methods and principles of polysaccharide-gold nanocarriers, outline factors affecting drug loading capacity, and describe strategies employed by these nanocarriers to improve drug delivery efficiency. The goal is to provide a comprehensive reference for further development of polysaccharide-gold nanodelivery systems.

Results

The review identifies three main mechanisms for polysaccharide-AuNP synthesis: glycosidic bond disruption, hydroxyl group reduction, and amino group reduction. Polysaccharide-AuNP complexes demonstrate enhanced antitumor activity, antimicrobial properties, antioxidant effects, and improved drug delivery capabilities compared to individual components alone.

Conclusion

Polysaccharide-gold nanocomplexes offer significant advantages as drug delivery systems by combining the biological activity of polysaccharides with the targeting and photothermal properties of AuNPs. Further research is needed to address safety concerns, standardize production processes, and optimize clinical translation of these promising nanodelivery systems.
  • Published in:Pharmaceutics,
  • Study Type:Review,
  • Source: PMID: 38258099, DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics16010088
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