Nanoencapsulation of Food Carotenoids

There is an increasing demand for delivery of carotenoids through functional foods with the concomitant challenge of protecting their bioactivity during different food unit operations and subsequent passage through the gastrointestinal tract. Evolving evidence on the health benefits of carotenoids has sparked interest in nanoencapsulation and utilization of encapsulation matrices in food fortification. Different nanoencapsulation matrices such as emulsions, nanoparticles, liposomes, hydrogels, clusters, and nanocrystals demonstrated compatibility with different food matrices. In addition, nanoencapsulation matrix could be designed to help decrease the degradation of the carotenoids. This chapter reviews the aspects of carotenoid nanoencapsulation and their bioavailability in food matrices. Additionally, co-encapsulation strategies to enhance bioavailability and bioaccessibility are discussed.