Nanosupplements: Improvements in Nutritional Functionality of Food Products

Abstract

The field of nanosupplements (NS) could be considered as an extension of nanotechnology applied to food research and development, with an expansive growth at the present and with a promising future. This derives from the extensive knowledge about bioactive encapsulation techniques and the advances in the understanding of bioavailability requirements and bioaccessibility process. Nowadays, supplements such as vitamins, minerals, polyphenols, fatty acids, and peptides can be incorporated in several kinds of nanostructures, including nanoemulsions, liposomes, complexes, niosomes, and solid lipid nanoparticles, in order to promote their physicochemical stabilities against environmental injurious factors (oxygen, ultraviolet radiation, temperature, moisture, etc.) and, consequently, to increase their biological functions at the target tissues. Currently, all these challenges have resulted in an increased number of patents about NS that today are available for the industrial sectors concerned for the production of functional foods with specific features according to new consumer demands. Thus, today there are many commercial products that employ nanotechnology economic approaches to produce tailor-made food products, finding a strong market for the next years. Conversely, regulations and safety on NS consumption are still areas of great discussion, and global decisions are needed in order to favor the consumers? health and to minimize costs in public sanitary sectors.