Lipid Nanocarriers: A Novel Strategy

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, the 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 causes remarkable losses in their efficiency. Lipid-formulation nanoencapsulation technologies including nanoliposomes, nanoemulsions, lipid nanoparticles (SLNs, solid lipid nanoparticles, and NLCs, nanostructured lipid carriers), and nanophytosomes potentially help to solve these issues. These nano delivery systems provide more stability, solubility in different media, functionality, bioavailability, targeting properties, and the ability of controlled release in food and pharmaceutical practices. This book reviews lipid-based nanocarriers in terms of production methods, types, characteristics, and composition for the incorporation of different bioactive compounds. Also, food applications of various bioactive compounds incorporated in the commonly used lipid-based nanocarriers are highlighted.