Starch holds significant promise for pharmaceutical applications; however, its utility is often constrained by inherent properties such as swelling capacity, solubility, gelation behavior, rheological characteristics, mechanical strength, and susceptibility to enzymatic digestion. Through chemical modification, these limitations of native starch can be effectively overcome. In the treatment of ocular diseases via eye drops, drug absorption by the corneal epithelium is often limited due to the tissue's low permeability, while residual medication may lead to adverse side effects. A.P. Vieira and colleagues successfully modified starch using 2-isocyanatoethyl methacrylate, yielding a polymer containing both urethane linkages and carbon-carbon double bonds; this modified polymer helps minimize drug loss, thereby offering patients a novel therapeutic agent capable of providing sustained, long-term drug release. Curcumin possesses potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer properties; however, its clinical utility is severely hampered by its extremely low aqueous solubility and bioavailability, as well as its rapid degradation and elimination within the body.
Most surfactants commonly employed in pharmaceutical formulations tend to disrupt normal cellular membrane structures, thereby inducing cytotoxicity. Martin Kuentz and his research team investigated the use of octenyl succinate-modified starch to formulate surfactant-free drug suspensions exhibiting superior technical performance; this approach facilitates the complete wetting of drug particles, thereby enhancing both solubility and overall efficacy. While biodegradable starch microspheres can be utilized for localized hemostasis, they are generally ineffective in controlling massive hemorrhages. However, chemically modified biodegradable starch microspheres can actively stimulate the activation of the coagulation cascade and trigger platelet aggregation *in vitro*, thereby significantly expanding their scope of application in hemostatic interventions.
Modified starch holds immense significance in the pharmaceutical sector. It serves to enhance critical drug properties-such as solubility, flow characteristics, and compressibility-thereby improving systemic drug absorption and mitigating adverse side effects. Furthermore, modified starch facilitates the development of novel therapeutic agents, making substantial contributions to the treatment of complex and intractable diseases. Given that the pharmaceutical industry is inextricably linked to public health, social stability, and economic prosperity, modified starch possesses profound practical value and immense potential for future development within the field of medicine.
