Polyelectrolyte Complex: A Pharmaceutical Review

Abstract

Dakhara SL, Anajwala CC

This review work gives a lot of information on polyelectrolyte complexes (PECs). The complex formed is generally applied in different dosage forms for the formulation of stable aggregated macromolecules. Many properties like diffusion coefficient, chain conformation, viscosity, polarizability, miscibility, etc., are drastically changed due to the introduction of a polyelectrolyte. The formation of PECs is influenced not only by chemical properties like stereochemical fitting, their molecular weight, charge densities, etc. but also by secondary experimental conditions like concentration of polyelectrolytes prior to mixing, their mixing ratio, ionic strength of the solution, mixing order, etc. The formation of PECs is described in this article and it is divided into three main classes, i.e., primary complex formation, formation process within intracomplexes and intercomplex aggregation process. There are different types of PECs obtained according to binding agents such as polymers, proteins, surfactants, drugs, etc. Other factors which affect the formation of PECs are also discussed. There are a number of pharmaceutical applications of polyelectrolytes, such as in controlled release systems, for the enzyme and cell support, for different types of tissue reconstitution, etc.