Natural biodegradable materials for advanced pharmaceutical drug delivery systems: A comprehensive review

Natural biodegradable materials are gaining momentum as effective drug delivery systems owing to their eco-friendly nature, natural degradability, and good interaction with the body. These materials, derived from marine life, plants, and animals, include starch, cellulose, pectin, chitosan, alginate, gelatin, and collagen. They provide flexible platforms for the evolution of novel drug delivery systems. Recent technological advances with hydrogels, microspheres, phytosomes, lipid-based systems, and nanoparticles have greatly improved drug solubility, stability, bioavailability, and targeted distribution. In addition, recent formulation technologies such as coacervation, spray drying, freeze drying, nanoencapsulation, and supercritical fluid technology have been applied to improve the efficacy and performance of these systems. Natural polymers enable controlled and targeted drug delivery through mucoadhesion, ligand-receptor interaction, and stimuli-responsive targeting. That said, there are still issues to address, such as unpredictability, instability, and scalability. And looking ahead, there is hope for progress in nanotechnology, artificial intelligence, and personalised treatments. The development of new drug delivery systems using natural biodegradable materials, in general, is a logical and successful strategy.