Ionically Gelled Carboxymethyl Polysaccharides for Drug Delivery

Polysaccharides are building blocks of many drug delivery systems with outstanding performance. Carboxymethyl derivatives obtained from polysaccharides improve solubility and physiochemical properties making them good alternatives for various applications. Carboxymethyl polysaccharides bearing cationic charges can be physically crosslinked via electrostatic and ionic interaction with polycationic species, small molecules, and metal ions to induce integrity. In this chapter, drug delivery platforms based on carboxymethyl polysaccharides in which ionic species are used as crosslinking agents which are outlined. We highlight that ionically crosslinked carboxymethyl polysaccharides carriers are promising candidates for delivery of various drugs such as chemotherapeutics, anti-inflammatory drugs, and protein-based therapeutic agents.