Pullulan, a biopolymer with potential applications in pharmaceutical and cosmeceutical: a review

Abstract

Pullulan is an important polysaccharide with unique characteristics. This natural biopolymer is water-soluble, non-mutagenic, non-immunogenic, and non-toxic. It produced naturally as extracellular polysaccharide by the yeast-like fungi Aureobasidium pullulans. Due to the chemical, biological, and physical characteristics, pullulan has become a desired compound for many applications in pharmaceutical industry including drug and gene delivery, tissue engineering, medical imaging, plasma expander and also in the cosmeceutical industries. This article presents a review of the state-of-the-art applications of pullulan by Aureobasidium sp. in the pharmaceutical and cosmeceutical field. Such important knowledge was organized and updated on the basis of latest research directions in pharmaceutical and cosmeceutical area. The presented information emphasizes an actual outlook and the essential steps to improve the utmost exploitation of the scientific advancement documented in the pullulan area up to date.