Encapsulation-based technologies for bioactive compounds and their application in the food industry: A roadmap for food-derived functional and health-promoting ingredients

Some of the most commonly used agri-food products worldwide are vegetable and fruit-based products that are rich in bioactive compounds such as vitamins, polyphenols, and other antioxidants. However, many of these molecules are sensitive and susceptible to oxidation and degradation during food processing, particularly when exposed to heat. This review examines the effect of encapsulation on bioactive compounds and how encapsu-lation technologies can be leveraged in the food industry to protect and optimize the functional properties of naturally occurring food bioactives. Encapsulation can also assist with the creation of desirable sensory attributes (e.g., aroma, texture, color, and taste), thus playing a major role in the design and development of novel foods and beverages. Encapsulation is one of the few technologies experiencing continued growth due to its unique potentialities, high versatility and extensive range of applications. Various types of food grade encapsulating materials, also known as wall, coating, shell or carrier, can be employed, including proteins, polysaccharides (e. g., gums), other biopolymers, and lipids. Encapsulation owes its success to its proven record as an effective process for preserving the encapsulated bioactives from the surrounding conditions, while assisting with opti-mized delivery and controlled release of the transported active compounds. Among the multiple variations and applications of encapsulation, micro-and nanoencapsulation of food-derived bioactives are the main focus of this review, which discusses the underlying principles, technological developments, as well as current and foresee-able applications aimed at protecting and enhancing the functionalities of biologically active ingredients in food systems.