Application of sodium alginate in medicine field

In the field of medicine, sodium alginate is widely used in pharmaceutical preparations, tissue engineering, clinical treatment, cell culture, food processing and other fields due to its unique physical and chemical properties and good biocompatibility.  In the field of pharmaceutical preparations, sodium alginate is commonly used as thickening agent, suspension agent and disintegrating agent, and can also be used as cold-resistant protective agent of microencapsulated materials and cells. It also has the effects of hypoglycemia, anti-oxidation and enhancing immune activity.  

In recent years, with the development of biomedical materials and developing new dosage forms of drug sodium alginate as a kind of efficient biological adhesive agent and pH sensitive gel material, its application research is also increasing, the conventional preparation of polyelectrolyte nature of the use of sodium alginate sustained-release micro capsule preparation or micro pill, by its nature of gel preparation of gel skeleton,  Use its pH sensitivity as a tablet disintegrating agent targeting intestinal absorption.  

In addition, sodium alginate can also be used as a thickener for external ointments.  The addition of sodium alginate in oral tablets can increase the viscosity of tablets, produce gel barrier effect, prolong the release time of drugs, reduce adverse reactions.  In our country, sodium alginate is used as the matrix to make a long-acting xiaoxincheng tablet. It can also have a long-acting effect when sodium alginate is added into the solution of antibiotics, insulin and hormone drugs.  

Sodium alginate molecule contains free carboxyl group and hydroxyl group, which can form gel with a variety of metal ions. The prepared pellet has the characteristics of pH sensitivity, suitable particle size, can prevent sudden release, and oral toxicity.  Sodium alginate gel has strong biological adhesion, can be used for local wound repair dressings, nasal and eye delivery preparations, oral film and chewing tablets.  Sodium alginate is a good carrier material for targeted drug delivery because of its blood compatibility and in vivo degradation and clearance.