Starch aerogels as nutraceutical carriers: Experimental and computational strategies for designing a delivery system

The exceptional properties of aerogels explain their growing applicability in different research areas. In the case of nutraceutical delivery, they hold the potential to improve the common challenges of poor bioavailability and low stability of the bioactive ingredients, thereby enhancing intestinal delivery. Starch aerogels offer additional attractive features: biocompatibility, potential cost reduction, and abundance of raw materials. This review explores the development of starch aerogels as carriers for nutraceutical delivery, and how it can be rationalized with molecular simulation. The fundamentals of starch aerogels and the existing literature on the carriers are explored, including synthesis procedure, morphology, nutraceutical loading, and characterization of the resulting delivery system. Molecular simulation is identified as a key tool for examining properties and interactions occurring at the nano- and sub-nanoscale. The current gaps in the field are critically discussed, and trending topics for future research are identified. A computational-assisted design combined with a systematic approach to production routes is needed to further develop the field of starch aerogels for nutraceutical delivery, in addition to assessing toxicity, stability during storage, and scale-up viability.