A comprehensive review of emerging frontiers in starch biomacromolecules for targeted drug delivery, precision nutrition, and sustainability

Abstract

Starch is one of the biopolymers gaining renewed attention for its versatility and sustainability to enable applications in personalized nutrition, targeted drug delivery, and environmental technologies. Starch complexes, a naturally occurring biopolymer, are an ideal substrate for next-generation functional systems due to their intrinsic biodegradability, adjustable physicochemical characteristics, and compatibility with other biopolymers. Accordingly, this review focuses on the current advancements in modifying the structure and functional aspects of starch, highlighting the importance of molecular structure alteration in improving performance in biological systems. Furthermore, in the context of personalized nutrition, this study highlights how starch-based macromolecules can effectively modulate nutrient availability, achieve controlled release, and enable tailored dietary solutions aligned with individual metabolic profiles. Also, the review sheds light on the emerging role played by starch biomacromolecules in targeted drug delivery, where the components demonstrate promising outcomes in encapsulation efficiency, enzyme-responsive release, and site-specific delivery. Moreover, green synthesis methods, biodegradability, and low-impact production techniques have made starch a sustainable substitute for synthetic polymers, especially in the packaging sector, where it serves as a sustainable material capable of forming films that have the potential to replace conventional plastics with reduced ecological impacts. Finally, the current review outlines the existing challenges, safety considerations, regulatory perspectives, and future directions needed to translate starch-based biomaterials into clinically and industrially viable solutions. Therefore, this work offers a comprehensive recap of starch's potential in medical, environmental, and health applications, which is eventually beneficial for the public domain.

Keywords: Biomacromolecule; Drug delivery; Environmental sustainability; Nutrition.