Application of Lipid Nanocarriers for the Food Industry

Abstract

Bioactive compounds effectively contribute to human health, and hence, they have recently attracted great attention in order to fortify food products and develop novel functional foods. However, employment of bioactive compounds in food matrices has some limitations. Most of the bioactive substances are readily decomposed in food as well as within the gastrointestinal tract that cause remarkable losses in their efficiency. Furthermore, they display low water solubility, poor bioavailability, and insufficient dispersibility. Other problems are related to their interaction with food ingredients and unfavorable effects on sensory attributes of food products. Lipid-formulation nanoencapsulation technologies including nanoliposomes, nanoemulsions, lipid nanoparticles (SLNs, solid lipid nanoparticles, and NLCs, nanostructured lipid carriers), and nano-phytosomes potentially help to solve these issues. These nanodelivery systems provide more stability, solubility in different media, functionality, bioavailability, targeting properties, and the ability of controlled release in food and pharmaceutical practices. This chapter reviews lipid-based nanocarriers in terms of production methods, types, characteristics, and composition for incorporation of different bioactive compounds. Also, food applications of various bioactive compounds incorporated in the commonly used lipid-based nanocarriers are highlighted. In this sense, the relevant recent studies have been discussed.