Emerging Technologies for Bioactive Applications in Foods

The fast development of micro- and nanotechnologies in recent decades is providing novel platforms for the development and production of modified foods. Micro- and nanoscale devices introduced in foods will allow to synthesize novel enriched foods for special purposes. Functional and/or fortified foods based on novel technologies are allowing specifically to deliver nutrients in adequate quantities and in the proper place without losing bioactivity. The design of matrices is a key issue that requires the biophysical and chemical analysis of matrix components, and the potential interactions with the load and the environment. The most accepted matrices for food applications include lipids and biopolymers, e.g., polysaccharides and proteins , also their hybrid systems. Novel lipidic structures for food encapsulation are the “nano” versions of liposomes and emulsions, but also novel devices as solid lipid nanoparticles and nanostructured lipid carriers useful for hydrophobic loads. Biopolymeric structures including polysaccharides and proteins, which are available in large scale as raw materials, are easy to chemically and enzymatically modify to specially tailor the matrices not only for the environmental conditions but also for the physicochemical properties of the load. Hybrid micro- and nanosystems, combining polysaccharides, proteins, and lipids, are providing a myriad of novel devices able to be employed for diverse food applications.