Starch-Based Drug Delivery Systems in Lung Disorders

Abstract

AbstractRespiratory diseases are a leading cause of death worldwide and have a significant impact on both the quality of life and expected lifespan of an individual. Respiratory disorders like tuberculosis (TB), asthma, bronchitis, cystic fibrosis (CF) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) require a novel, safe and effective drug delivery system. Mostly plant-derived natural polymers can be employed in respiratory diseases that need to be biocompatible, mucoadhesive and should have the potential to protect the loaded antigens as well as the biomolecules and then target it at the site of action. Owing to these characteristics like biological features, sustainability and chemical flexibility, natural polymers have become an attractive approach and have been explored to revolutionize the drug delivery in respiratory illness. It is known that natural polymers have a complex network structure and intramolecular interactions; nevertheless, certain functional groups must be modified to preserve their biological features. Starch is a natural polysaccharide that is found in tubers and seeds of plants. Certain chemical modifications of natural starch have been carried out to enhance its physicochemical characteristics that enable it to be utilized as an innovative drug delivery excipient. Due to its small particle size, high surface-to-volume ratio and biological compatibility, starch nanoparticles are widely used in variety of fields of material sciences and respiratory disorders. Owing to its great biocompatibility and biodegradability, the FDA has approved it as a “generally regarded as safe” (GRAS) listed ingredient and thus widely investigated in biomedical and pharmaceutical applications. This chapter will explain the current status and future prospects of starch and its derivatives as a potential drug delivery system in respiratory disorders.KeywordsBiopolymersLiposomesStarchRespiratoryPolysaccharideNanoformulations