Synthesis, characterization of Okra mucilage as a potential new age therapeutic intervention

The application of natural polysaccharides in novel drug delivery systems to deliver the bioactive agents has been hampered by the synthetic polymers. The main benefits of the natural polysaccharides are their biodegradable, biocompatible, non-toxic, abundant and economic. Because of the advances in drug delivery technology, natural polysaccharides are included in novel drug delivery to fulfill multitask functions and in some cases directly or indirectly control the extent and/or rate of drug release. Substantial research efforts have been directed towards developing safe and efficient natural based polysaccharide particulate drug delivery systems. The present work outlines the natural based okra mucilage and their isolation, purification, standardization and characterization along with their biological applications are covered.