Engineered Nanomaterials in Food and Drugs

This book pans through three major sections of materials and methods used in the engineering of nanomaterials—their applications, ethical issues, and present market share in the field of food and drugs. It presents information on the kind of materials and processes that are used to synthesize nanomaterials, which are eventually used in the food and drug industries. It chalks out the minor details of components and parameters that could influence the outcome in terms of dimension, surface property, toxicity, stability, bioavailability, degradation, physiological responsiveness, etc.

It also gives input about what to do and what not to do while preparing an engineered nanomaterial for food or drug applications. It describes the previous and current uses of engineered nanomaterials and the advancements in this area in the past few years. It comprehensively details the applications of nanomaterials in various areas, such as in drug delivery and theranostics, particularly in cancer diagnostics and neurodegenerative disorders. It also briefly discusses the use of nanotechnology in the area of radiopharmaceuticals, providing an insight into the requirements for the design of any nanomaterial to be capable of being a potential candidate for the discussed applications. It talks about the ethical issues and parameters to be evaluated before taking any nanomaterial to the market, considering the importance of establishing the safety of consumers who are exposed to nanomaterials due to the increased use of nanotechnology in all facets of life. It discusses the emerging applications of nanomaterials in the areas of healthcare (therapeutics and diagnostics), the food industry (from farm to table), and personal hygiene (daily personal care products to cosmetics). It also provides a snapshot of the precautions to be taken while working with nanomaterials and describes the ongoing efforts to harmonize the global standards for the risk and safety assessment of this emerging technology.