Due to its excellent biocompatibility and unique structure of hydrophobic core and hydrophilic shell

natural polymer-based nano-micelles have been widely researched in the biomedical field as carriers for lipid-soluble drug or nanoprobes loading to increase their solubility and stability. Polysaccharides have the advantages of excellent water solubility

wide sources and easy chemical modification

and the amphiphilic polysaccharide derivatives after hydrophobic modification can self-assemble into natural polymer micelle nanoparticles in aqueous solution. The preparation of amphiphilic polysaccharides is a key step for the design and formation of polysaccharide micelles. Therefore

in this paper

the commonly used methods for the hydrophobic modification of polysaccharides

including side chain esterification

side chain ring-opening polymerization

terminal reductive amination

and hydrophobic drug grafting were reviewed in detail. And

further functionalization and application of amphiphilic polysaccharide micelles as drug carriers were introduced.