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Nanotechnology provides different types of nanomaterials (NMs) which are built from various materials and show varied shapes, sizes, and chemical and surface properties (Laroui et al. 2013). Moreover, all such nanomaterials have been reported to have a broad spectrum of applications in industry, environmental protection and medicine. Several kinds of nanomaterials, namely metallic nanoparticles, quantum dots (QDs), silica nanospheres, magnetic nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes, graphene nanostructured surfaces, etc., were found to have attractive applications in diagnostic tests such as genotyping techniques, immunohistochemistry assays, detection of biomarkers, early cancer detection, and many others (Lyberopoulou et al. 2016). Nanomaterials have been also used as drug carriers in bioimaging and cancer treatment (Zottel et al. 2019). However, the balance between physical properties of nanomaterials, their biocompatibility, and the evidence of no cytotoxic effects is the key to their successful use in clinical applications. Nanomaterials can offer interesting interactions with biomolecules present on cell surfaces or inside the cell (Laroui et al. 2013). A particularly important feature is the configuration of the ligands and their interaction with the atoms present on the particle surface which play a significant role in determining the physiochemical properties of the nanomaterials and thus nanoparticle interaction with the human body and biological material (Bayford et al. 2017).

The application of nanotechnology in cancer research has provided hope within the scientific community for the development of novel cancer therapeutic strategies. Therefore, nanomaterials are being advanced as novel and more targeted treatments for diseases such as cancers which are difficult to manage (Zottel et al. 2019). Gastrointestinal (GI) diseases affect the GI tract, from the esophagus to the rectum, and the accessory digestive organs. These diseases include acute, chronic, recurrent, or functional disorders while covering a broad range of diseases, including the most common ones, namely acute and chronic inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) (Riasat et al. 2016). The GI cancers are especially dangerous as they contribute to more than 55% of deaths associated with cancer. Therefore, tremendous efforts have been made to develop the novel diagnostic and therapeutic methods for improving quality and life span of patient's (Laroui et al. 2013).

The GI tract is an attractive target system for nanotechnology applications. The GI tract is the site of adsorption of various compounds, including water, nutrients, or therapeutics. The behavior of nanomaterials used for diagnosis or therapy of GI diseases can be regulated during transport through the digestive tract according to conditions of varying pH, transit time, pressure, and bacterial content (Laroui et al. 2011). Of all nanomaterials, nanoparticles have shown great promise in gastroenterology because their interactions with intestinal epithelial cells, macrophages, immune cells, and M cells are tunable, suggesting their potential as a vehicle for vaccinations (Laroui et al. 2011).

In this chapter we present applications of nanomaterials in the diagnosis and treatment of GI disorders. The major types of nanoparticles that have potential use both in gastroenterology and general medicine are discussed; moreover, nanoparticle behavior in the GI tract is also discussed. The application of nanotechnology in medicine is a rapidly developing area of investigation. It is believed that nanotechnology will play an important role in the assessment and treatment of gastroenterological diseases. Some of the nanomaterial‐based therapies and diagnostics presented here outperform conventional materials in terms of efficacy, reliability, and practicality.