Harshal Ashok Pawar, Swati Ramesh Kamat, Pritam Dinesh Choudhary
Every pharmaceutical formulation contains two components: active ingredient and excipients. Excipients help in the manufacturing of the dosage form and also improve the physicochemical parameters of the dosage form. Polymers play an important role as excipients in pharmaceutical dosage forms. Polymers affect the release of drugs and should be compatible, non-toxic, stable, economical, etc. Biopolymers, synthetic polymers, and their derivatives are commonly used in medicine and pharmacy. These are broadly classified into natural polymers and synthetic polymers. Nowadays, due to many issues related to drug release and side effects, manufacturers tend to use natural polymers and their derivatives. Natural polymers are basically polysaccharides, and hence, they are biocompatible and have no side effects. This review article aims to discuss the various sources, applications in medicine, and various techniques used for the modification of natural polymers.