Caffeine-Loaded Nano/Micro-Carriers: Techniques, Bioavailability, and Applications Publisher Pubmed

Summary: Caffeine-loaded nano/micro-carriers improve controlled release and bioavailability, enhancing safety for functional foods, research shows. #FoodScience #CaffeineResearch

Shaddel R¹ ; Akbarialavijeh S¹ ; Cacciotti I² ; Yousefi S³ ; Tomas M⁴ ; Capanoglu E⁵ ; Tarhan O⁶ ; Rashidinejad A⁷ ; Rezaei A⁸ ; Bhia M^{9, 10} ; Jafari SM^{11, 12, 13}
Source: Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition Published:2024

Abstract

Caffeine, as one of the most consumed bioactive compounds globally, has gained considerable attention during the last years. Considering the bitter taste and adverse effects of high levels of caffeine consumption, it is crucial to apply a strategy for masking the caffeine’s bitter taste and facilitating its programmable deliverance within a long time. Other operational parameters such as food processing parameters, exposure to sunlight and oxygen, and gastrointestinal digestion could also degrade the phenolic compounds in general and caffeine in special. To overcome these challenges, various nano/micro-platforms have been fabricated, including lipid-based (e.g., nanoliposomal vehicles; nanoemulsions, double emulsions, Pickering emulsions; microemulsions; niosomal vehicles; solid lipid nanoparticles and nanostructured lipid carriers), as well as biopolymeric (e.g., nanoparticles; hydrogels, organogels, oleogels; nanofibers and nanotubes; protein-polysaccharide nanocomplexes, conjugates; cyclodextrin inclusion complexes) and inorganic (e.g., gold and silica nanoparticles) nano/micro-structures. In this review, the findings on various caffeine-loaded nano/micro-carriers and their potential applications in functional food products/supplements will be discussed. Also, the controlled release and bioavailability of encapsulated caffeine will be given, and finally, the toxicity and safety of encapsulated caffeine will be presented. © 2022 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.