Molecularly tailored strategies based on natural polysaccharide structural and functional benefits for precise...

Controlled drug delivery systems are becoming more crucial in precise nutrition and disease intervention. However, many synthetic drug systems have the shortcomings of complex synthesis, side effects, and high cost. Natural polysaccharides show the potential to be excellent drug delivery materials due to their good biocompatibility and renewability, mucoadhesion, targeting ability, sensitivity to external stimuli, and powerful biological effects. The structural variability and functional diversity of natural polysaccharide support chemical, physical, and biological molecular modification, resulting in various types of polysaccharide-based drug delivery systems (DDSs), including gels, emulsions, and nanoparticles. In this review, establishing natural polysaccharide-based DDSs via molecularly tailored strategies has been revealed as an emerging and promising strategy. The major types and properties of natural polysaccharides assembly materials as well as their structural characteristics, were reviewed. Subsequently, a systematic and comprehensive analysis of molecularly tailored strategies for polysaccharide-based DDSs was provided. The multifaceted applications, scientific and technical challenges, and future perspectives were also summarized. This review will be beneficial to understand the role of natural polysaccharides to construct smart, responsive-release DDSs via molecularly tailored strategies, with the hope of igniting inspiration for future research and applications.