Mesoporous Silica-Based Supports for the Controlled and Targeted Release of Bioactive Molecules in the Gastrointestinal Tract

Mesoporous silica particles (MSPs) have attracted increasing interest as supports in the design of controlled delivery materials. Besides their excellent properties as loading supports (that is, large surface area and pore volume), the modification of their external surface with molecular/supramolecular ensembles allows the design of gated MSPs. Delivery systems based on gated MSPs show “zero delivery” until an adequate stimulus is present and triggers gate opening and the cargo is released. Encapsulation of bioactive molecules in gated MSPs may improve biological stability, facilitate component handling, mask unpleasant sensorial properties, and modulate the bioaccessibility of target molecules along the gastrointestinal tract. These properties make gated MSPs excellent candidates for encapsulating bioactive molecules and their subsequent utilization in the formulation of functional foods. This text highlights the most significant endogenous triggering stimuli that might be applied to design these site‐specific delivery systems, as well as the strategies to develop them. Given the novelty of using MSPs in the food sector, the benefits and current potential limitations of employing MSPs in human food have been identified and discussed.