MICROENCAPSULATION: A REVIEW OF APPLICATIONS IN THE FOOD AND PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRIES

Abstract

Microencapsulation is a technique that has been widely used in the food and pharmaceutical industries. This technique can be used to reduce the cost of production, to increase the stability of compounds, to mask undesirable tastes, and to improve the release properties of compounds in food industries. Currently, microcapsules are utilized in beverage, bakery, meat, poultry, and dairy products. Moreover, microencapsulation has been used to increase stability, to mask bitter taste, to improve the release properties of drugs, and to provide specific drug delivery in pharmaceutical industries. The challenge of microencapsulation is in selection of the appropriate conditions for producing highly effective microcapsules. Many factors affect the quality of microcapsules, including preparation techniques, types of core material, and types of wall material. We provide an overview of the current research on the applications of microencapsulation in food and pharmaceutical industries, the selection of suitable conditions for developing high efficiency microcapsules, and future trends in microencapsulation.