Dextran, a hydrophilic polysaccharide consists essentially of α-1,6 linked glucopyranoside residues that form the parent chain, along with α-1,2/3/4 linked residues that constitute its side chain. A considerable biocompatibility, stability under mildly acidic and basic conditions, solubility in water, non-immunogenicity, and presence of chemically modifiable –OH groups make dextran an ideal candidate for development of drug delivery vehicles and excipients. The presence of α-1,6 linkages in the parent chain provides enhanced chain mobility that determines the aqueous solubility of dextran, while its metabolism by the digestive enzymes to generate physiologically harmless degradation products validates its biocompatibility. Native dextran can be tuned for the development of pH-sensitive delivery systems by chemical modification that ensure an optimal drug concentration at the target site, and lowered dosing frequency that may ensure an overall improved patient compliance. The physicochemical properties of dextran can be changed by performing a chemical modification predominantly at the –OH group to obtain ester, ether, acetal, and dialdehyde of dextran. The review presented by us is a comprehensive account of the chemical modification strategies for native dextran and their clinical applications in containing pulmonary diseases. Furthermore, the presented review highlights the importance of nanomaterials derived from chemically modified dextran for the management of an optimal respiratory health by containing the inflammatory respiratory diseases.

葡聚糖是一种亲水性多糖，主要由形成母链的 α-1,6 连接的吡喃葡萄糖苷残基以及构成其侧链的 α-1,2/3/4 连接的残基组成。良好的生物相容性、在弱酸性和碱性条件下的稳定性、在水中的溶解性、非免疫原性以及可化学修饰的 -OH 基团的存在使葡聚糖成为开发药物输送载体和赋形剂的理想候选者。母链中 α-1,6 键的存在提供了增强的链流动性，这决定了葡聚糖的水溶性，而其通过消化酶代谢产生生理上无害的降解产物验证了其生物相容性。天然葡聚糖可以通过化学修饰来调整对 pH 敏感的递送系统的开发，以确保目标部位的最佳药物浓度，并降低给药频率，以确保整体改善患者的依从性。葡聚糖的物理化学性质可以通过主要在 -OH 基团上进行化学修饰来改变，以获得葡聚糖的酯、醚、缩醛和二醛。我们提出的综述是对天然葡聚糖的化学修饰策略及其在控制肺部疾病中的临床应用的综合描述。此外，本综述强调了源自化学改性葡聚糖的纳米材料对于通过控制炎症性呼吸系统疾病来管理最佳呼吸系统健康的重要性。