Biopolymers are important class of materials for pharmaceutical and
biotechnological applications. Studies have been carried out on different biopolymer blends
and types. The area of biopolymer interactions has been the focus of intensive fundamental
and applied research in recent time. Such biopolymer combinations may possess unique
properties that are different from those of individual components. There is a great potential in
utilizing biopolymer blends as pharmaceutical adjuvants and in controlled release drug
delivery systems. Appropriate selection of biopolymer or biopolymer blend is necessary in
order to develop a successful drug delivery vehicle. In drug delivery, the biopolymer blends
used should be designed in such a way that their functionality remains constant throughout an
application. For a successful industrial development of a viable dosage form using biopolymer
blends, the biopolymers selected must be pharmaceutically approved and should also
demonstrate acceptable mechanical and biocompatible properties. Biopolymer blends used in
drug delivery are characterized to establish their suitability for the intended dosage form. In
this chapter, biopolymer blends used in drug delivery are discussed with particular emphasis
on their formation, properties, characterization, applications and their limitations and future
prospects.
Keywords: Polymer blends, polymer characterization, properties of polymer blends, polymer
mixing thermodynamics, drug delivery.
