Carbohydrate-based polymer nanocarriers for environmentally friendly applications

Effective delivery of active substances and drugs is an important part of treatment. In order for a drug to work at the right place in the body, it must be transported there in the right way. For this reason, new carriers are being sought for active substances and drugs that can effectively deliver drugs to the target site without causing additional side effects. These include nanoparticles, microneedles, cubosomes and nanogels, among others. Recently, carriers based on biodegradable polymers such as hyaluronic acid or chitosan are becoming popular. In addition, modern carriers are designed to release the active ingredient in response to a specific agent. This paper reviews the literature from the past 5 years on novel delivery systems with medical, agricultural, food and cosmetic applications, with a special emphasis on the use of carbohydrate-based nanocarriers.