Starch nanoparticles: Their preparation and applications

Abstract

The word "nano" originates from the Greek term "dwarf." Nanoparticles are generally recognized as those with a particle size below 100 nm which enables novel applications and benefits. Materials and devices with nanostructures have different properties from the materials they are made. Starch is a widely available, abundant biopolymer produced in plants by the process of photosynthesis and stored in the form of granules. The starch granules are in microsize which can be broken down into nanosize using different nanotechnological methods. These nano-sized particles are safe for human health and are increasingly utilized in food and nonfood industries. Nanotechnology, in general, is making the most significant progresses in biomedical application, including novel drug delivery practices in which starch nanoparticles can be used as drug carriers. Other potential applications of starch nanoparticles include their use in waste water treatment where they can replace the costly activated carbon as adsorbents. It has also attracted interest as a packaging material due to its better barrier properties. Their addition in natural rubber matrix improved barrier and mechanical properties and thus they are used commercially in tire making. Recently starch nanoparticles are found to have applications as fat replacers and emulsion stabilizers. Due to growing interest in starch nanoparticles, in the last decade, various methods have been developed for their synthesis. Acid hydrolysis, regeneration, and physical methods are widely used for the preparation of starch nanoparticles.