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RESEARCH PRODUCT

Micro and nano-encapsulation of vegetable and essential oils to develop functional food products with improved nutritional profiles

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Abstract Background A growing awareness regarding the benefits of consumption of functional foods has resulted in the development of new food products through using bioactive compounds. Vegetable-essential oils (V-EOs) are among the most popular ingredients used for the enrichment of different food products to boost their functional properties. However, these oils are sensitive to harsh conditions such as oxidation stress and high temperatures. Recently, different micro/nanoencapsulation systems have been applied to produce suitable carriers for V-EOs to be incorporated into food formulations, which can overcome the limitation of their pure application in foods. Scope and approach Controlled release and high stability against harsh conditions can increase the functional properties of V-EOs, thus facilitating their potential use in food products. The main objective of this review is to consider the role of different micro/nanoencapsulation systems for improving the functional activities of V-EOs such as their antioxidant activity. Therefore, the practical and effective micro/nanoencapsulation methods for the delivery of V-EOs into food formulations are comprehensively discussed. Key findings and conclusions Micro/nanoencapsulation systems containing V-EOs can be used as a proper technology to produce functional foods. These encapsulation systems can provide many advantages including sustained release, prevent undesirable interaction, high stability, high bioavailability, and high antimicrobial and antioxidant activity of target V-EOs during food storage. There are different encapsulation systems formulated by lipids, carbohydrates, and proteins, which leads to their use in food formulations without imposing negative sensory effects. The fortified foods by micro/nano encapsulated V-EOs can increase their functional properties such as possessing more healthy unsaturated fatty acids (USFA), and antioxidant and antimicrobial activity.