3D printing of polysaccharide-based formulations: Opportunities for innovation

Abstract

3D printing is a technology that has gained significant interest due to its versatility in terms of design, as well as the wide variety of materials that can be used for the production of inks. Among the compounds with the greatest importance in the last decade for 3D printing are polysaccharides. These have been positioned as favorable compounds for the formulation of inks due to their properties such as flexibility, non-immunogenicity, pseudoplastic behavior, printability, biocompatibility, and biodegradability. Therefore, the implementation of polysaccharides in 3D printing promotes innovation in the development of materials and products for medical, food, pharmaceutical, and other applications. The objective of this review was to provide a comprehensive and exhaustive study of the technological advances in 3D printing of polysaccharide-based formulations. To this end, a bibliometric analysis was presented to establish trends using scientometric indicators that allowed us to delve deeper and identify the most relevant developments in the subject. Through this review, we sought to highlight the importance of polysaccharides and their wide range of applications in 3D printing and hope that it will provide a meaningful basis for the exploration of printable compounds from renewable sources.