[nanoPost] Delivery of bioactive ingredients via nanoencapsulation

Research Center Australia

The researchers are investigating the use of microencapsulation and nanoencapsulation for the targeted delivery of bioactives to the gastrointestinal tract. The researchers are:

Developing new, natural food materials and microencapsulated products that can be used by food manufacturers;

Using proteins and carbohydrates to make materials that protect the encapsulated ingredients while they travel through the body to a targeted site in the gut;

Investigating solubilities, stabilities and interactions of different bioactive ingredients. By understanding these properties, the scientists hope to be able to package several bioactives within the same microcapsule;

Trialing new ways of incorporating bioactives into foods with minimal loss of bioactivity and without compromising the quality of the food that is used as a delivery vehicle;

Working towards understanding the self-assembly and stabilization of nanoemulsions during food processing.