A comprehensive review of protein‐based carriers with simple structures for the co‐encapsulation of bioactive agents

Abstract

The rational design and fabrication of edible codelivery carriers are important to develop functional foods fortified with a plurality of bioactive agents, which may produce synergistic effects in increasing bioactivity and functionality to target specific health benefits. Food proteins possess considerable functional attributes that make them suitable for the delivery of a single bioactive agent in a wide range of platforms. Among the different types of protein‐based carriers, protein–ligand nanocomplexes, micro/nanoparticles, and oil‐in‐water (O/W) emulsions have increasingly attracted attention in the codelivery of multiple bioactive agents, due to the simple and convenient preparation procedure, high stability, matrix compatibility, and dosage flexibility. However, the successful codelivery of bioactive agents with diverse physicochemical properties by using these simple‐structure carriers is a daunting task. In this review, some effective strategies such as combined functional properties of proteins, self‐assembly, composite, layer‐by‐layer, and interfacial engineering are introduced to redesign the carrier structure and explore the encapsulation of multiple bioactive agents. It then highlights success stories and challenges in the co‐encapsulation of multiple bioactive agents within protein‐based carriers with a simple structure. The partition, protection, and release of bioactive agents in these protein‐based codelivery carriers are considered and discussed. Finally, safety and application as well as challenges of co‐encapsulated bioactive agents in the food industry are also discussed. This work provides a state‐of‐the‐art overview of protein‐based particles and O/W emulsions in co‐encapsulating bioactive agents, which is essential for the design and development of novel functional foods containing multiple bioactive agents.

Co‐encapsulation of curcumin and anthocyanins in bovine serum album–fucoidan nanocomplex with a two‐step pH‐driven method

“…[7][8][9][10] On the other hand, proteins contain a variety of hydrophobic and hydrophilic amino acids linked by peptide bonds, which enables them to be amphiphilic and form nanoparticle regions with different degrees of hydrophobicity after self-assembly or co-assembly. 11,12 On this basis, bioactive compounds with different polarities were encapsulated. [13][14][15] Ji et al used soy protein fibrils-based hydrogels to encapsulate (−)-epigallocatechin gallate and CUR, 15 and the fabricated hydrogels contributed to the anticancer activity of CUR.…”

“…CUR and (−)-epigallocatechin entrapped in different zeincaseinate nanoparticle regions by an antisolvent method have been reported previously. 12 The synergistic effects between CUR and other bioactive substances have been investigated, and the co-encapsulation of CUR with other polyphenols and plant essential oils has been extensively used to improve the function of the substance. 16 Additionally, many efforts have also been made to find novel strategies for preparing polysaccharide-protein delivery carriers for entrapping bioactive substances.…”