Carbohydrate and protein based biopolymeric nanoparticles: Current status and biotechnological applications

Wide sustainability and reusability of biomacromolecules such as carbohydrates and proteins-based biopolymers pave the way for providing maximal importance in the field of generating biopolymeric nanoparticles. As compared to synthetic nanomaterials, carbohydrate and protein based biopolymeric nanomaterials offer unique advantages that include antibacterial, biocompatible, immunogenicity, and biodegradable properties. Additionally, they have the significant property of more size distribution. Carbohydrate nanoparticles are primarily derived from the polysaccharide biopolymers such as alginate and chitosan; and protein nanoparticles are made from the diverse peptide biopolymers such as albumin, keratin, sericin, fibroin, gelatin and collagen. Advanced methods such as emulsification, desolvation, electrohydrodynamic atomization and coacervation are employed for the controlled fabrication of green biomacromolecules based nanoparticles. Suitability of biopolymeric nanoparticles in plethora of biotechnological applications are quite feasible with the advent of advanced technologies such as dynamic light scattering, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and UV visible spectroscopy etc. Applications of such biomacromolecules nanoparticles are highly prevalent in agriculture, food, and biomedical industries. Thus, contributions of biopolymeric nanoparticles derived from carbohydrates and proteins biomacromolecules and their recent trends of patents granted in the biotechnological applications are critically discussed along with a promising future scope.