The introduction of nanotechnology into pharmaceutical application revolutionized the administration of antitumor drugs through the modulation of their accumulation in specific organs/body compartments, a decrease in their side-effects and their controlled release from innovative systems. The use of plant-derived proteins as innovative, safe and renewable raw materials to be used for the development of polymeric nanoparticles unlocked a new scenario in the drug delivery field. In particular, the reduced size of the colloidal systems combined with the peculiar properties of non-immunogenic polymers favored the characterization and evaluation of the pharmacological activity of the novel nanoformulations. The aim of this review is to describe the physico-chemical properties of nanoparticles composed of vegetal proteins used to retain and deliver anticancer drugs, together with the most important preparation methods and the pharmacological features of these potential nanomedicines.
Keywords: antitumor compounds; gliadin; legumin; nanoparticles; soy protein isolate; zein.