A Mini Review on Plant-based Nanocellulose: Production, Sources, Modifications and Its Potential in Drug Delivery Applications

Nanocellulose is an emerging sustainable biomaterial with exceptional physicochemical properties. It can be isolated from inexpensive renewable cellulosic biomass and a number of natural plant fibers have been extensively investigated as a source for such isolation. The geometrical dimensions of the prepared cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) are however, found to vary widely, depending on the source of the cellulosic material and hydrolysis conditions. CNCs are biocompatible and biodegradable which exhibit very low cytotoxicity thus, offering a wide range of opportunities for biomedical applications. By surface modification of nanocellulose, various functional materials with tunable properties can also be developed. Over the past two decades, CNCs have garnered a significant interest as biobased reinforcing nanofiller material. This mini review will provide an overview into the production methods, sources of cellulosic fibers, surface modification strategies and drug delivery applications of the chemically or mechanically isolated nanocellulose.