ABSTRACT
Carrageenan is customarily used to provoke inflammation in order to test the anti-inflammatory activity of several substance. Carrageenan possesses anti-HIV activity as it inhibits entry and attachment of the virus and has been the basis of carraguard. Carrageenan is met in applications with potential in HIV prevention and other infections that are sexually transmitted. Carrageenan is often used as an agent of controlled inflammation in tissues for the evaluation of natural and synthetic pharmaceutical compounds. Inflammation was experimentally induced by carrageenan solutions injected subcutaneously on mice dorsal surfaces creating air pouches. Carrageenan has found application in the oral release of extended-release tablets and extrusion aid in the pellet production. Its negative charge and gelling behavior provide the ability for viscosity modification and controlled release of therapeutic substances. The progress in the use of carrageenan in pharmaceutical applications during the last decades will surely allow this versatile polysaccharide to take part in the developments in biomedicine and biotechnology of near future.
