Compendium of the most significant studies with reference to properties, intake, effects.

Belsito, M. D., Hill, R. A., Klaassen, C. D., Liebler, D. C., & Marks Jr, J. G. (2014). Safety assessment of plant polysaccharide gums as used in cosmetics. Cosmet. Ingredient Rev, 1-45.

Abstract. According to information supplied to the FDA by industry as part of the VCRP and results from a Council survey of  ingredient use concentrations, the following 57 plant polysaccharide gums are being used in cosmetic products: maltodextrin, agar, agarose, algin, alginic acid, amylodextrin, avena sativa (oat) starch, calcium alginate, carrageenan, cassia angustifolia seed polysaccharide, cichorium intybus (chicory) root oligosaccharides, corn starch modified, croscarmellose, cyclodextrin, cyclodextrin laurate, dextrin, dextrin myristate, dextrin palmitate, dextrin palmitate/stearate, galactoarabinan, glycerol alginate, glyceryl starch, hydrogenated starch hydrolysate, hydrolyzed corn starch octenylsuccinate, hydrolyzed pectin, hydrolyzed starch, hydrolyzed wheat starch, hydroxypropyltrimonium hydrolyzed corn starch, hydroxyethyl cyclodextrin, hydroxypropyl cyclodextrin, hydroxypropyltrimonium hydrolyzed wheat starch, hydroxypropyltrimonium maltodextrin crosspolymer, hydroxypropyl starch, inulin, laurdimonium hydroxypropyl hydrolyzed wheat starch, mannan, methyl cyclodextrin, natto gum, pectin, polianthes tuberosa polysaccharide, potassium alginate, potato starch modified, propylene glycol alginate, pueraria lobata starch, sodium carboxymethyl starch, sodium carrageenan, sodium hydrolyzed potato starch dodecenylsuccinate, sodium oxidized starch acetate/succinate, sodium starch octenylsuccinate, solanum tuberosum (potato) starch, starch acetate, starch diethylaminoethyl ether, starch hydroxypropyltrimonium chloride, stearoyl inulin, sterculia urens gum, tamarindus indica seed gum, tapioca starch, and triticum vulgare (wheat) starch.

Kaur, T., Singh, R.P. (2020). Carbohydrate Biopolymers: Diversity, Applications, and Challenges. In: Singh, J., Meshram, V., Gupta, M. (eds) Bioactive Natural products in Drug Discovery. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-1394-7_18

Abstract. Biopolymers are a chemically diverse and functionally versatile group of natural products produced by all living organisms. Many of these biopolymers and their derivatives have found commercial applications ranging from the food to pharmaceutical industry. In the recent years, there has been an increase in the commercial usability of these versatile, yet robust scaffolds. The chapter focuses on the diversity of molecular structure and composition of polysaccharide biopolymers produced by microorganisms, plants, and animals with special emphasis on polysaccharides with commercial applications. The utility of these biopolymers and their derivatives ranges from bioremediation to biosensors, drug delivery vehicles to potential therapeutic agents, fuel cells to prosthetics, etc. These biopolymers and their derivatives are either used alone (e.g., starch or carboxymethyl cellulose) or in combination with other constituents. Recently, these biopolymers have also been investigated as fillers or active constituents in development of composites. The chapter introduces the diverse applications of these macromolecules with examples and concludes with the potential challenges faced by this group of biomolecules that deter their commercial viability, viz., cost of production, reproducibility of biopolymer characteristics, and safety and regulatory concerns.

Camargo Jr, F. B., Minami, M. M., Rossan, M. R., Magalhães, W. V., Porto Ferreira, V. T., & Maia Campos, P. M. B. G. (2022). Prevention of chemically induced hair damage by means of treatment based on proteins and polysaccharides. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 21(2), 827-835.

Abstract. Background There is currently a great interest not only in developing products for the protection and recovery of chemically damaged hair, but also in developing effective protocols to investigate the impact of chemical treatments and attest the efficacy of innovative hair care products. Among the most relevant cosmetic treatments for hair are bleaching and coloring, which have been shown to significantly impair mechanical and structural properties. Objectives This study aimed to characterize the damage induced by hair bleaching and coloring and to evaluate the protective effects of a hair care treatment based on integral silk proteins (fibroin and sericin) and vegetable-derived polysaccharides from linseed (Linum usitatissimum L.).....Conclusions The proposed product was effective in protecting and repairing bleached and colored swatches, improving resistance and luster and reducing structural damage. By applying complementary techniques within a reliable evaluation protocol, it was possible to attest the protective properties of the product under study.