Micro- and nanoencapsulation technologies for bioactive food ingredients: Current progress and future perspectives

Bioactive food ingredients, including polyphenols, carotenoids, vitamins, essential oils, probiotics, peptides, and polyunsaturated fatty acids, have received increasing scientific and industrial attention because of their potential roles in health promotion and disease prevention. Nevertheless, the practical utilization of many bioactive compounds remains limited because of poor aqueous solubility, low gastrointestinal stability, rapid oxidation, unfavorable sensory characteristics, and limited bioavailability. In recent years, micro- and nanoencapsulation technologies have emerged as highly promising strategies for overcoming these limitations by improving the stability, protection, targeted delivery, and controlled release of sensitive compounds in food systems. Various encapsulation approaches, including spray drying, freeze drying, coacervation, liposomes, nanoemulsions, electrospinning, and biopolymeric nanoparticles, have demonstrated significant effectiveness in preserving the physicochemical and biological properties of functional ingredients, while nanoencapsulation systems generally provide enhanced dispersibility, improved absorption, greater surface area, and superior delivery efficiency compared with conventional microencapsulation systems. Unlike recent reviews that primarily describe individual encapsulation techniques or specific carrier systems, this review provides a comprehensive critical comparison of conventional and emerging micro- and nanoencapsulation technologies. It integrates mechanistic insights into encapsulation efficiency and release behavior with industrial scalability, regulatory considerations, safety aspects, and next-generation delivery platforms. Furthermore, the review critically evaluates encapsulating materials, preparation techniques, functional food applications, release mechanisms, commercialization challenges, and recent advances, including stimuli-responsive carriers, hybrid nanocarriers, and AI-assisted formulation strategies. By identifying current knowledge gaps, technological limitations, and future research priorities, this review offers an integrated framework to support the development and industrial translation of safe, sustainable, and high-performance encapsulation systems for functional foods and nutraceuticals.

کلیدواژه ها:

bioactive compounds ، Controlled release ، functional foods ، Microencapsulation ، Nanoemulsions