Abstract

Polymer-based composites are widely being used as a potential carrier material for site-specific drug delivery because of their nontoxic, biodegradable, and biocompatible nature. The different polysaccharide-based composites such as alginate, gellan gum, chitosan, and guar gum have been investigated for controlled drug delivery applications. The polymer composites have found their application as a versatile carrier material for gene, oral, buccal, anticancer, transdermal, ophthalmic, and colon delivery. Nowadays, the polymer is modified with other materials to obtain novel biomaterial for controlled drug delivery applications. This entry provides an overview of the different polysaccharide-based composites and their applications with a special emphasis on controlled drug delivery.