Title:Lipid Nanocarriers as an Alternative for the Delivery of Bioactive
Compounds Beneficial to Health
Volume: 19
Issue: 8
Author(s): Camila da Costa de Quadros*, Alan Carvalho de Sousa Araujo, Juliana Machado Latorres, Mariano Michelon and Myriam de las Mercedes Salas-Mellado
Affiliation:
- Laboratory of Food Technology, School of Chemistry and Food, Federal University of Rio Grande, Rio Grande, P.O.
Box 474, RS, Brazil
Keywords:
Bioactive properties, nano delivery systems, peptides, phytochemicals, polyunsaturated fatty acids, bioavailability.
Abstract: Bioactive compounds derived from food or plants have become a natural source with
the potential for producing functional, nutraceutical, and pharmaceutical foods due to their biological
functions and beneficial health effects. However, to perform such physiological processes,
these compounds need to be absorbed through the gastrointestinal tract. Among the existing technologies,
nanoencapsulation increases physical stability, protection, and the contact surface, facilitating
the solubility and bioavailability of such compounds. In this type of encapsulation, lipid
nanocarriers are promising carriers due to their lipid structure and containing hydrophilic surfactant,
capable of facilitating the intestinal absorption of active compounds. However, in food or
drugs, one of the significant challenges for applying bioactive compounds on a nanoscale is the
lack of in vivo studies that establish safety limits for cytotoxicity. This review covered recent
studies on the encapsulation of natural bioactive compounds in different types of lipid nanocarriers.
In addition to methods for obtaining and characterizing nanocarriers, bioactivities with beneficial
potential for human health, such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, antihypertensive, antidiabetic,
and neuroprotective, are mentioned. The manuscript deals with the bioaccessibility of active compounds,
new perspectives, and challenges for applying lipid nanocarriers.