Casein nanoformulations- Potential biomaterials in theranostics

Casein is a milk protein emerging as a potential nanosystem for applications in therapy and diagnosis. Casein consists of four major phosphoproteins with their homologous primary amino acid sequences into the following families alpha s1, alpha s2, 13, and x-casein. In the aqueous phase, casein forms micelles binding with colloidal calcium phosphate. Biocompatibility, high drug binding/encapsulation capability, potential to cross the blood-brain barrier, and targeted cellular uptake are a few of the properties of casein micelles, enabling their application in therapy. This review discusses various components, properties, and functions of casein phosphoproteins and casein micelles. Application-specific cross-linking mechanisms and different synthesis approaches are also dis-cussed. This review extensively explores casein's structural and functional properties and its biomedical appli-cation: targeted drug delivery and tissue engineering. The potential applications of casein-based complexes for treating iron deficiency anaemia and casein-derived peptides for inhibition of neuronal cognitive disorders are also discussed in this review.