Zein,a natural plant macromolecule derived from corn endosperm,with good biocompatibility and self-assembly characteristics has been widely used as safe food-grade raw materials in food and medicine fields.Based on the solubility characteristics of zein in different solvents,zein can be self-assembled to form nanoparticles through different methods.Zein nanoparticles are often used as a carrier for hydrophobic bioactive substances or as a stabilizers for Pickering emulsions.However,the performance of zein as a nano-carrier material in terms of encapsulation efficiency,stability,and drug release is still unsatisfying.Therefore,scholars have carried out modification studies on zein in order to overcome the above shortcomings while giving them new features,such as pH responsiveness,liver protection activity and so on.In this paper,we reviewed the composition and properties of zein,the different preparation methods of zein nanoparticles,and the physical and chemical modification of zein as a nanocarrier material.In a word,this paper provides theoretical foundation and experimental guidance for the further development of zein into nanocarrier.