ABSTRACT
In the next chapter of this book we attempt to outline the potential of nanotechnology in the area of delivery of nutraceuticals from ‘functional foods’, the ultimate aim of this strategy being to reduce the risks of chronic diseases in the general population. One of the nanotechnological approaches is the nano-or micro-encapsulation of bioactive compounds within small vesicles of submicron diameter. These structures have the potential to protect bioactive compounds against degradation/oxidation and from undesirable interactions with other food components during food processing and storage. Nanocapsules can improve the stability and solubility of a bioactive substance and therefore increase its bioavailability and delivery to cells and tissues in a targeted fashion, as in the phrase “in the right place and at the right time” (Gouin 2004; Taylor et al., 2005; Lalush et al., 2005; Chen et al., 2006; Sanguansri and Augustin, 2006; Bouwmeester et al., 2007; Letchford and Burt, 2007; Semenova et al., 2008).
