The Emerging Potential of By-Products as Platforms for Drug Delivery Systems

Natural resources are widely used as raw materials by industries. In most cases, abundant byproducts with low economic interest are also generated from agro-industrial supply chains. There are several examples for the rational use of agro-industrial byproducts in the nanobiotechnology field aiming for the development of novel products and high value added processes. Such raw materials include carapaces, pelages, blood, bagasses, and straws. Molecules from such materials (e.g. chitosan, cellulose, and albumin) are used as scaffolds of unprecedented novel nanostructure. Research efforts comprising a combination of sustainability, nanobiotechnology, and nanomedicine have emerged. One major area in nano-biotechnological research of agro-industrial byproducts is represented by the field of drug delivery systems (DDS). Among the main advantages of agro-industrial byproducts used as drug carriers are their abundance; low price; high biocompatibility; good biodegradability; moderate bioresorbability, associated with reduced systemic toxicity or even no toxicity; and often bioactivity. The goal of these efforts includes not only the possibility to characterize and manipulate matter on the nanoscale, but also to develop sustainable products and processes, including the development of platforms for drug delivery aiming for the treatment of pathologies such as cancer and diabetes. Indeed, there is great hope that the use of agro-industrial byproducts in nanobiotechnology will increase not only agricultural and livestock productivity, but will also contribute to other areas such as the development of DDS with new properties and low production costs; and sustainable environmental management due to the reuse of industrial discharged byproducts. This review will compile current findings on the use of byproducts as building blocks for modern drug carrier systems, emphasizing the challenges and promising applications.