Aminated Polysaccharides: Unveiling a new frontier for enhanced therapeutic efficacy

The presence of diverse functional groups on polysaccharides enable their modification with other chemical entities for their conjugation with diverse bioactive molecules. Through the introduction of amine linkages on polysaccharide backbone, reactive sites can be generated that are amenable to further modification, facilitating the attachment of drugs, proteins, imaging agents, and other bioactive compounds via electrostatic interactions or covalent bonding. The presence of cationic amine group plays a crucial role in facilitating the targeted and controlled drug delivery by overcoming physiological barriers, such as mucosa. Further modification of amine groups enables the tailoring of characteristic physicochemical properties of the parent polysaccharide to meet the specific therapeutic needs, such as site-specific drug delivery or stimulus-triggered slow and sustained drug release. The aminated polysaccharide-based biomaterials hence offer prospective candidature as next-generation drug delivery vehicles. This review comprehensively narrates the physicochemical properties of aminated polysaccharides and elucidate the strategies for their functionalization, aiming to enhance therapeutic efficacy.