Ultrasonically Prepared Biopolymeric Multifunctional Nanocarriers for Encapsulating Dietary Oils: Recent Developments and Food Applications

Dietary oils (DOs) from various sources are known to be beneficial functional bioactives in medicinal applications. However, DOs are highly susceptible to light, temperature, and oxygen, rendering them chemically unstable and prone to oxidation. As a result, their use in the food and pharmaceutical sectors is constrained. Nanoencapsulation techniques are widely regarded as highly promising tactics for augmenting the inherent properties and therapeutic impacts of DOs. This article is focused on the utilization of ultrasonically produced biopolymeric nanocarriers (UPNs), along with their advantages and disadvantages, which have demonstrated promising potential for encapsulating various DOs. Furthermore, a full discussion has been carried out on the advanced loading techniques of various DOs using UPNs, particularly protein/polysaccharide-coated nanoemulsions and nanoparticles. These nano-vehicles are considered promising candidates for protecting DOs due to their remarkable features and their capability to enable accurate and efficient delivery to targeted sites. The gastrointestinal fate of protein/polysaccharide-coated nanocarriers is mostly determined by their size, surface characteristics, and physical attributes. UPNs provide a range of desirable properties inherent to biopolymeric nanoparticles, enabling them to provide stability and effective dispersion of DOs in functional food products. Additional research is extremely needed to explore novel possibilities for utilizing DOs-loaded UPNs in the realm of food and beverage applications, with the prospect of eventual commercial viability.