Development of Ethyl Cellulose-based Formulations: A Perspective on the Novel Technical Methods

Cellulose is known as the most abundant natural polymer and ethyl cellulose (EC) is one of its important derivatives. Recently, EC, as a non-toxic and biodegradable polymer, has attracted attention thanks to its unique properties such as oleogel formation, delivery of active component, and film-forming ability in the food and pharmaceutical sectors. EC-based oleogels have great promise for replacing with unhealthy hydrogenated oils in food products. The EC emulgel could be used as a fat replacer in different food and drug formulation and also for encapsulation of active components. EC, as a non-digestable and water-insoluble polymer, forms micro- and nano-particles with unique properties. Accordingly, this paper tries to focus on mechanistic review of different methods for the fabrication of EC-based formulations and micro/nanoparticles with emphasis on recent progress on wide range applications of the water-insoluble polymer. Additionally, different techniques are discussed in this paper including oleogelation, anti-solvent, emulsion, Pickering emulsion, and electrospinning for the preparation of EC-based formulations.