Abstract
Nutraceuticals are bioactive compounds, which are derived biologically, and have established health promotional and chronic disease preventive activity, but their therapeutic activity is characteristically constrained by poor solubility, instability, and poor bioavailability. Nanoencapsulation has also become one of the potential
solutions to these issues, as bioactives are not degraded, and the encapsulation technique greatly improves solubility, absorption, and controlled or targeted release. Different nanocarriers, including liposomes, nanoemulsions, polymeric, and solid lipid nanoparticles have demonstrated an enhanced pharmacokinetic and
physiological characteristics of compounds including curcumin, resveratrol, and omega-3 acids. It is used as functional foods, dietary supplements and pharmaceutical formulations but stability, toxicity, scalability and regulatory issues remain difficult. To guarantee successful commercialization of nano-fortified nutraceuticals in the future, future developments must aim at creating biocompatible, cost-effective and scalable nanocarriers through green nanotechnology and standardized safety frames of reference.
Introduction
Nutraceuticals are food-derived compounds, which are bioactive and have therapeutic effects than simply nutrition [1]. Studies have underscored their importance in the prevention of diseases and good health in general [2]. They boost immunity, metabolism and minimise the chances of chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart ailments and cancer [3]. Some of them are the polyphenols present in berries and green tea that have antioxidant properties, omega-3 fatty acids which are beneficial in the heart and brain and curcumin which has an anti-inflammatory effect [4]. Nutraceuticals have since been the center of preventative healthcare and functional food innovation by means of modulating the oxidative stress, gut microbiota and cellular signaling [5].The importance of nutraceuticals is that they should prevent chronic illnesses by providing alternative remedies to drugs in a natural and foodbased approach [6]. Polyphenols, omega-3 fatty acids, curcumin, and necessary vitamins
assist in controlling the metabolism, preventing inflammation, and boosting immunity [7].
Frequent consumption of nutraceutical-enriched food products has the potential to reduce the risks of heart diseases, diabetes, and cancer by increasing antioxidant capacity and regulation of oxidative stress [8]. As the global population rapidly discovers a fresh interest in preventative healthcare and natural nutrition, the nutraceutical market is set to increase as it has increased significantly by approximately USD 404 billion by 2025, a significant change in the trend towards functional, plant-based wellness, a transition between food and
medicine [9]. Although they possess extensive health benefits, most nutraceuticals are limited in their efficacy because of low bioavailability- rate and extent of their uptake into the blood and their use by the body [10]. Low solubility in water, chemical instability and poor gastrointestinal absorption are part of the factors lowering their therapeutic potential [11]. As an example, curcumin in turmeric, despite being a very effective antioxidant and
anti-inflammatory substance, cannot be absorbed because it is poorly soluble and is quickly processed by the body [12]. In the same vein, grape and red wine resveratrol are deteriorated easily and exhibit low systemic availability [13].
Therefore, bioavailability should be enhanced to full potential to harness the health benefits of these formidable compounds.Nanoencapsulation is a sophisticated method to protect and deliver bioactive molecules including nutraceuticals, vitamins and plant antioxidants, whereby, the bioactive molecules are enclosed in nanocarriers to increase stability, solubility and controlled release [14]. It solves the problem of low bioavailability and degradation in case of digestion or storage [15]. The most common nanocarrier systems are liposomes, nanoemulsions, and polymeric nanoparticles, where the hydrophilic and lipophilic compounds may be entrapped and lead to better absorption and target delivery [16]. Nanoencapsulation provides a protective barrier against all environmental stress factors such as light, oxygen and enzyme breakdown which makes release of compounds like curcumin, resveratrol, and omega-3 fatty acids sustainable and efficient [17]. This results in improved absorption, increased therapeutic efficacy, and increased biological activity and thus making nanoencapsulation a very promising technique to use in the next generation functional foods and nutraceutical formulations [18].
Download the full article as PDF here Nanoencapsulation of Nutraceuticals for Enhanced Bioavailability
or read more here
Allah Bachayo Memon, Zarina Naz, Muhammad Zohaib Khan, Asghar Ali Shah, Nanoencapsulation of Nutraceuticals for Enhanced Bioavailability, https://msrajournal.com/index.php/Journal/issue/view/15, Multidisciplinary Surgical Research Annals, https://msrajournal.com/index.php/Journal/issue/view/15, Volume 3, Issue 3 (2025)
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