The drug delivery systems (DDS) based on various nanocarriers are the main directions of research on new formulations and new dosage forms in modern pharmacy. Compared with traditional pharmaceutical preparations, DDS preparations tend to exert drug properties better than conventional preparations and are targeted to the lesion site. As an important part of DDS, the selection and modification of carrier materials is important to development DDS. Zein is an important protein in corn. It is renewable, non-toxic, amphiphilic, biocompatible and biodegradable, and can be self-assembled to form microspheres or nanoparticles. However, pure Zein carrier materials often have defects such as poor stability, easy binding to serum proteins and being intercepted by reticuloendothelial system, therefore, it is necessary to make certain improvements by modification or compounding with other materials. At the same time, the precise construction of Zein-DDS is also the guarantee to obtain the required particle structure and ensure the final performance of the product. At present, built-in ultrasonic dialysis process, supercritical antisolvent method and spray/ antisolvent precipitation method are the main preparation processes for constructing DDS. In this paper, the research progress of Zein's modification and related preparation processes is reviewed, which provides a research basis for the gradual development of Zein- DDS from precursor drugs and sustained-release agents to precision dosage forms such as speed controlled, targeted, and visualized delivery.

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