Emerging trend of chondroitin sulfate in nanoparticles preparation, targeting, and pharmaceutical applications

Chondroitin sulfate (CS) belongs to the family of glycosaminoglycan which occurs in nature as anionic mucopolysaccharide found mainly as the major constituent of extracellular matrix (ECM) of various organisms. It consists of repeating disaccharide unit having β-1, 3-linked N-acetyl galactosamine (GalNAc) and β -1,4-linked d-glucuronic acid (GlcA). It is naturally derived bioactive macromolecule having favorable properties like biosafety, biodegradability, and extremely low toxicity due to which it has attracted attention in biomaterial development. In this chapter we will discuss about the present prospects of CS in the synthesis of nanomaterials, various synthetic methods applied, and characterization of synthesized CS based nanoparticles. Further we will also discuss significant applications and future prospects of these biomaterials in various fields like drug/gene delivery system, nanocarriers, tissue engineering, and other biomedical applications.