ABSTRACT
Nutraceuticals play a major role in lifestyle health issues. Nutraceuticals are bioactive compounds isolated from fruits, vegetables, and plant parts such as the root, leaf, bark, and seeds. They are available in the form of polyphenols, flavonoids, saponins, and terpenoids, which need to be encapsulated to be made palatable. Nanotechnology plays a pivotal role in packing these compounds in nano- and microcapsule form that retains their properties and ensures sustained release into the stomach. Gastric juices and the intestinal environment have extreme changes in pH, and these bioactive compounds are not very stable at low and high pH. Materials such as PLGA, chitosan, and phospholipids are used to encapsulate the bioactive compounds. Advantages of nanoencapsulation include protection and controlled release of bioactive compounds at the “right” time and the “right” place. Nanoencapsulation of bioactive compounds has a range of advantages for targeted site-specific delivery and efficient absorption through cells. This chapter discusses bioactive compounds, the encapsulating materials, encapsulating equipment, and techniques.
