An Insight on Emerging Nanomaterials for the Delivery of Various Nutraceutical Applications for the Betterment of Heath

Abstract

From ancient time till date, the association of food with health is recognized. Two thousand five hundred years ago, Hippocrates, the founder and father of medicine, defined food as “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” From ancient times, herbs as well as spices had their role in traditional medicine. Nutraceuticals are foods with bioactive compounds that provide essential nutrients along with health by inhibiting the development of chronic diseases and possess therapeutic functions. Although nutraceuticals have many prophylactic functions, they also have certain limitations. The limitations of nutraceuticals need to be eliminated by some delivery system to provide improved permeation of bioactive compounds. Application of nanotechnology in nutraceutical is now booming. Nanotechnology signifies interdisciplinary research on small particles (1–100 nm in size), intending to generate and develop structures in nano-level for delivering nutraceutical. The ratio of surface area to volume is greater in nanoscale structures with subsequent higher uptake and interaction with biological barriers. Nanotechnology improves health by delivering nutraceuticals and bioactive compounds, thus enhancing the effectiveness in delivering nutraceuticals. Nanotechnology has the ability to increase the solubility, aid in sustained release, augment bioavailability, and protect the stability of nutrients and bioactive and functional components. Unique properties and functions are due to their nanoscale dimensions. Examples of nutraceuticals include antioxidants, vitamins, essential minerals, bioactive compounds, prebiotics, and probiotics. Nanotechnology is exploited for the delivery of nutraceuticals efficiently. The choice of nanomaterials in the nutraceutical sector is continuously growing due to the fantastic properties conferred to the product which facilitated the progression of different nanomaterial usage to meet the challenges that occurred during the delivery of nutraceuticals.