Nanoencapsulation of Vitamins and Health Effects of Nanoencapsulated Vitamins

Abstract

Vitamins are important micronutrients for human life, and various diseases may occur in their deficiencies. For this reason, besides being taken with foods, they are offered for consumption as supplements or by adding them to functional foods. Vitamins are generally sensitive to heat, light, pH and oxygen. Because of this chemical reactivity, the encapsulation of vitamins can positively affect bioaccessibility and bioavailability, making them suitable for their use in food compositions. Studies on the nanoencapsulation of vitamins have increased in recent years. With nanoencapsulation, the thermal stability of their chemical structures can be increased, their solubility can be changed, their sensitivity to heat and light can be reduced or altered. Thus, bioactive compounds can be given positive properties. With these positive properties, substances can be used in food, cosmetics, etc. Although there are many different methods to provide these positive properties with nanoencapsulation, it is an area where effective analysis should be done by examining the issues of cost, time, chemical composition compatibility and sensitivity to the desired effects. Nanoencapsulation of vitamins provides long-term shelf life, thermal resistance, decreasing sensitivity to light, stability under different pH conditions, providing positive effects by increasing bioaccessibility and bioavailability. The main purpose of this review is to present the effect of nanoencapsulation on vitamins and the health benefits of encapsulated vitamins. For this purpose, literature was reviewed, and finally it was concluded that vitamins are subjected to nanoencapsulation with different methods and examined with different parameters. Although there are studies supporting their positive effects on bioaccessability and bioavailability, further conclusive research is needed.