Starch nanoparticles in drug delivery: A review.

The uptake and specificity of drugs and the bioavailability of poorly soluble drugs has been improved by means of targeted drug delivery using nanoparticles. Many platforms have been used for nanoparticulate drug delivery and these include liposomes, polymer conjugates, metallic nanoparticles, polymeric micelles, dendrimers, nanoshells, and protein and nucleic acid-based nanoparticles. Starch is the 2nd most abundant natural polymer and has found wide use in drug delivery systems as binder, disintegrant and filler.