Recent advances in oral delivery of bioactive molecules: Focus on prebiotic carbohydrates as vehicle matrices

Controlled oral delivery of bioactive molecules remains a promising platform for the food and biomedical realm. Nonetheless, there are many bottlenecks to the efficient oral bioactive delivery that necessitates the development of advanced approaches. In recent years, prebiotic carbohydrates have drawn surging interest for targeted bioactive delivery due to their potential of multi-stimuli release mechanisms. Harnessing prebiotic-based vehicles confers novel possibilities for intact oral bioactive delivery, improving their bioavailability and efficacy. This critical review updates state of the art on progresses in oral delivery of natural active agents via prebiotic carbohydrates. We offer the latest advances concerning prebiotic-based vehicles (i.e., pH/time-dependent systems, enzyme-sensitive polymers, and colonic microbiota-dependent vehicles), emphasizing their key attributes to attaining controlled/targeted bioactive delivery to the intended locus. Finally, we discuss safety considerations, challenges, and future perspectives toward advances in the field. [Display omitted] •Bioactive molecules need to be shielded from in vitro/in vivo stresses.•Encapsulation offers effective platform for restrictions of oral bioactive delivery.•Prebiotic carbohydrates play a pivotal role in improving human health.•Prebiotic carbohydrates demonstrate great potential in oral bioactive delivery.