Preparation, characterization, and performance analysis of starch-based nanomicelles

A novel amphiphilic starch-based polymer carrier (R-St-PEG; R = hexadecyl, St = starch, PEG = polyethylene glycol) was prepared using tapioca starch. It was then applied as an effective carrier for encapsulated drug, and used for sustained drug release . First, tapioca starch was made to react with hexadecane bromide (R 16 ) for hydrophobic modification, and then the hydrophobically-modified tapioca starch molecules were grafted onto hydrophilic carboxyl-terminated PEG (mPEG-COOH). The drug-loading capacity and drug release behavior of R-St-PEG were systematically evaluated using curcumin as drug. The results show that the polymer has good drug-loading capacity and sustained-release properties, and it can act as an effective drug carrier. Thus, this study provides a suitable platform for preparing stable amphiphilic polymer carriers and broadens the application range of tapioca starch.