Advancements in Manufacturing and Applications of Starch-Based Antimicrobial Materials

Starch, a naturally occurring polymer, offers wide availability, affordability, eco-friendliness, and biodegradability. It finds extensive application in food packaging, biomedicine, antimicrobial coatings, and other fields. Developing starch-based antimicrobial materials not only facilitates the high-value reuse and sustainable development of waste biomass materials but also emerges as a prominent direction for future advancements in the chemical industry, pharmaceuticals, and food packaging sectors. By modifying starch and combining it with antimicrobial materials, starch-based materials can acquire antimicrobial properties, improve their comprehensive performance, and then expand the range of applications for starch. Herein, the preparation methods of starch-based antimicrobial materials and their application in antimicrobial materials were summarized. Among them, four main preparation methods of starch-based antimicrobial materials were highlighted, including modification, combination with antibiotic, combination with nanomaterials, and combination with antimicrobial polymers, with their respective advantages and disadvantages analyzed. Then, applications of starch-based antimicrobial materials in the packaging and other fields are discussed. Finally, the future of starch-based antimicrobial materials was proposed to be promising, with a continued focus on developing new eco-friendly options, further demonstrating the development of innovative, green functional starch-based antimicrobial materials as a primary research direction in the packaging materials, wound dressings and other industries.