Zein-based nanoparticles: Preparation, characterization, and pharmaceutical application

Abstract

Zein, as one of the natural and GRAS proteins in plant, is renewable, nontoxic, biocompatible and biodegradable. Over the past decade, many research efforts have been devoted to zein-based biomaterials for several industrial applications. Combining with research experiences in our research group, the preparation methods, characterizations and pharmaceutical applications of zein-based nanoparticles were summarized in this review. Zein NPs with different particle nanostructures have been prepared by chemical crosslinking, desolvating, dispersing and micromixing strategies. The pharmaceutical applications of zein NPs are mainly focus on the drug delivery. Zein NPs can improve the drug stability, increase the oral bioavailability, control the drug release and enhance the drug targeting, thereby improving the pharmaceutical effect effectively. More efforts are required to analyze the relationship among preparation methods, particle nanostructures and pharmaceutical properties in virtue of quality by design approach, and further promote the scale-up production and clinical application of zein NPs.

Zein-Based Nanoparticles Improve the Therapeutic Efficacy of a TrkB Agonist toward Alzheimer’s Disease

“…Zein is a FDA-approved safe inactive formula ingredient . Zein can encapsulate some hydrophobic compounds including curcumin, resveratrol, , folic acid, atorvastatin, and daidzin to increase their oral bioavailability.…”

“…Zein is a FDA-approved safe inactive formula ingredient. 35 Zein can encapsulate some hydrophobic compounds including curcumin, 47 resveratrol, 48,49 folic acid, 50 atorvastatin, 51 and daidzin 52 to increase their oral bioavailability. To increase the oral bioavailability of #2 and obtain the optimal mass ratios between cargo and zein, we prepared zein NPs with different mass ratios using the antisolvent co-precipitation method.…”

“…34 In addition to being generally recognized as safe (GRAS), zein is also an FDA-approved drug-inactive ingredient. 35 The hydrophobicity, biodegradability, and biocompatibility of zein have been exploited in various fields, such as food coating and packaging 36 and pills coatings, 37 in addition to its applicability as a platform for drug delivery and in tissue engineering. 38 Zein readily self-assembles into NPs with various structures depending on the solvents and processing conditions 39 because there are abundant hydroxyl, amino, and carboxyl groups on the side chains of the zein molecule that can be chemically coupled with compounds by adding crosslinking agents.…”

“…Zein is a hydrophobic protein derived from corn seeds that is easily dissolvable in ethanol and other organic solutions . In addition to being generally recognized as safe (GRAS), zein is also an FDA-approved drug-inactive ingredient . The hydrophobicity, biodegradability, and biocompatibility of zein have been exploited in various fields, such as food coating and packaging and pills coatings, in addition to its applicability as a platform for drug delivery and in tissue engineering .…”

Thymol‐loaded Zein–pectin composite nanoparticles as stabilizer to fabricate Pickering emulsion of star anise essential oil for improved stability and antimicrobial activity

“…Thus, natural food‐grade particles as alternatives have received widespread attention recently (T. Wang et al., 2022). Zein, as a safe food‐originated protein which was approved by the U.S Food and Drug Administration (G. Liu et al., 2023), is often used as stabilizer in emulsion‐based systems owing to its unique self‐assembly properties (Donsi et al., 2017; Shukla & Cheryan, 2001). Zein particles were prepared via antisolvent precipitation to yield Pickering emulsions with particle sizes of 10–200 µm (de Folter et al., 2012).…”