%0 Journal Article %A LIU Guijin %A WANG Hongdi %A JIANG Yanbin %T Research progress of Zein as carrier for drug delivery systems %D 2013 %R 10.3969/j.issn.0438-1157.2013.10.002 %J CIESC Journal %P 3493-3504 %V 64 %N 10 %X Zein,one of the natural and edible biomacromolecules in plant,is renewable,nontoxic,biocompatible and biodegradable.Zein is capable of self-assembly into microspheres or nanoparticles because of its amphipathicity,and is an attractive drug carrier and has a promising prospect for drug delivery systems(DDS).Recently,the study of using Zein as carrier for drug delivery systems has become popular.The properties and advantages of Zein used as DDS carriers were introduced at first in this paper.Then,methods for the preparation of Zein-DDS and the characteristics of Zein-DDS were reviewed in detail.Moreover,the researches on the modification of Zein for carrier were also presented.In summary,Zein has a strong hydrophobicity and a good resistance to the digestive processes of stomach. Therefore,Zein-DDS can improve the stability of drugs,control and prolong drug release,and enhance drug targeting effectively.The future orientations could focus on broadening research fields,improving preparation methods and developing modification of Zein. %U https://hgxb.cip.com.cn/EN/10.3969/j.issn.0438-1157.2013.10.002