Nanoencapsulation: A New Trend in Delivering Botanical Health Products

Natural health products are valuable sources of bioactive compounds. In recent years, natural products have drawn a great deal of attention because of their potential to treat or prevent several serious chronic diseases, such as cancer and heart diseases. However, because of their low solubility and poor absorption, nanoencapsulation of phytochemicals is one of the most important innovations to enhance their bioavailability by changing their pharmacokinetics. Nanoencapsulation of botanicals involves forming active substance-loaded particles with diameters ranging from 1 to 1000nm, where botanical medicinal substances, such as limonene or lutein, are entrapped within a semi-permeable matrix. Applications of nanoencapsulation include controlled release, particle coating, taste masking, stabilization, and improvement of shelf life. Labile compounds, such as fatty acids, vitamins, antioxidants, hormones, and coenzymes, sensitive to any number of factors, can lose biological activity when unprotected, and the resulting decomposition products may also be toxic. Encapsulating unstable compounds can protect them from undesirable changes while retaining their pharmacological efficacy. Novel technologies have been developed to nanoencapsulate a multitude of bioactive ingredients in dietary supplements. It is expected that such nanoencapsulation product engineering practices will become very profitable in the near future given the enhanced functional properties and stability of these new formulations of botanicals and other supplements.

Acknowledgements: Thanks go to our colleagues in the Clinical Trials Division, Natural Health Products Directorate, Health Canada.