Powdered additive or organic filler is used to improve paperboard thickness and to reduce drying energy consumption in the Korean paperboard industry. In a previous study, we identified alternative non-lignocellulosic resources to wood powder, specifically brewers grain and oil palm frond powders, and verified that these materials had the same functionality as wood powder. The main drawback of the use of such additives, including both lignocellulosic and non-lignocellulosic resources, is the deterioration in paperboard strengths. Therefore, we carried out a basic study on the surface modification of brewers grain and oil palm frond powders to improve the strengths of paperboard. Surface modification was performed using various types of cationic and oxidized starches. The streaming current and zeta-potential of the two non-lignocellulosic powders were measured and CLSM images were taken to assess the surface modification.