Bioactive Compounds Encapsulation System: Design and Applications
A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Chemistry".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2025 | Viewed by 41
Special Issue Editor
Interests: oil and fat; oil seeds; minor components in vegetable oil; frying; structured lipids; structured lipids; synthesis; health benefits
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Bioactive compounds have garnered significant attention for their remarkable therapeutic potential in promoting human health. These natural compounds exhibit diverse pharmacological properties, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antimicrobial, and neuroprotective activities. Their ability to modulate cellular pathways, scavenge free radicals, and mitigate chronic diseases—such as cardiovascular disorders, diabetes, and neurodegenerative conditions—positions them as promising candidates for preventive and therapeutic applications.
Despite the immense clinical potential of bioactive compounds such as hydrophobic polyphenols and flavonoids, these substances face critical challenges that hinder their clinical translation. Their intrinsic low water solubility, poor gastrointestinal absorption, chemical instability under physiological conditions (e.g., pH variations, enzymatic degradation), and rapid systemic clearance drastically reduce their bioavailability and efficacy. These limitations not only compromise therapeutic outcomes but also restrict their integration into commercial formulations, such as nutraceuticals, functional foods, and targeted drug delivery systems.
To address these barriers, innovative nanotechnology-driven encapsulation strategies have emerged as transformative solutions. By leveraging advanced carrier systems—such as micelles, polymeric nanoparticles, liposomes, hydrogels, biodegradable microspheres, and solid-lipid nanoparticles (SLNs)—researchers can stabilize hydrophobic bioactive compounds, enhance their solubility, and protect them from premature degradation. Encapsulation technologies enable precise control over compound release kinetics, improve targeted delivery to specific tissues or cells, and amplify bioavailability through optimized absorption mechanisms. Furthermore, functionalization of these nanocarriers with ligands or stimuli-responsive materials opens new avenues for personalized and precision medicine.
This Special Issue seeks to highlight cutting-edge advancements in the design, characterization, and application of encapsulation systems for bioactive compounds. We invite contributions that bridge interdisciplinary research, from material science and nanotechnology to pharmacology and food engineering, to unlock the full potential of these bioactive agents.
We welcome original research articles, reviews, and perspectives focusing on (but not limited to):
- Novel Encapsulation Platforms:
- Design and synthesis of polymeric, lipid-based, or hybrid nanocarriers.
- Innovations in stimuli-responsive or targeted delivery systems.
- Characterization and Optimization:
- Techniques for evaluating encapsulation efficiency, stability, and release profiles.
- Computational modeling of carrier-compound interactions.
- Bioavailability and Pharmacokinetics:
- In vitro/in vivo studies on absorption, biodistribution, and toxicity.
- Strategies to overcome biological barriers (e.g., mucus, blood–brain barrier).
- Applications Across Sectors:
- Pharmaceutical formulations for disease treatment (e.g., cancer, inflammation).
- Functional food and nutraceutical development.
- Cosmeceuticals and topical delivery systems.
- Sustainability:
- Eco-friendly synthesis methods for nanocarriers.
Dr. Gangcheng Wu
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- bioactive compounds
- encapsulation
- nanocarriers
- bioavailability
- targeted delivery
- drug delivery
- functional foods
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