Biological macromolecules in drug delivery

Biological macromolecules including carbohydrates, proteins, peptides, nucleic acids, and lipids are the biologically derived molecules of high molecular weight with several potential advantages like sustainable production, renewability, biocompatibility, biodegradability, longer blood circulation period, targeting capability, etc. These are abundantly derived/extracted from various natural renewable resources (plants, algae, fungi, microbes, insects, animals, etc.), biotechnological fermentation, and microbiological culture process. Since past few decades, a variety of biological macromolecules-based drug releasing carriers have been reported in various dosage forms like injectables, tablets, capsules, gels, hydrogels, beads, microparticles, nanoparticles, patches and films, fibers, liposomes, transferosomes, scaffolds, etc. The use of biological macromolecules-based drug releasing carriers enhances the pharmacokinetics of loaded drugs with reduced systemic toxicity and immunogenicity. In the current chapter, we focus on the recent advancements in the uses of various biological macromolecules in drug delivery applications.