Advancements in lipid-based delivery systems for functional foods: a comprehensive review of literature and patent trends

Abstract

Lipid-based delivery systems (LDS) have emerged as cornerstone techniques for bolstering the bioavailability of lipophilic bioactive compounds, addressing challenges related to solubility, stability, and absorption. This critical review examined a substantial dataset of 6,907 scientific articles and 3,021 patents from 2001–2023, elucidating the multifaceted evolution of LDS, with a particular focus on its industrial and patent-driven perspective. Notably, there were pronounced surges in functional food patent applications in 2004, 2011, and 2019. The trajectory revealed a shift from foundational nanoemulsions to more complex structures, such as double/multiple emulsions, solid lipid nanoparticles, Pickering emulsions, and bigels. The review further identified the top 10 leading institutions shaping this domain. Technologies like spray-drying, microfluidics, and phase gelation had revolutionized the landscape, resulting in refined sensory experiences, innovative reduced-fat formulations, enriched beverages, tailor-made infant nutrition, and nuanced release mechanisms for flavors. The review also spotlighted current research frontiers, notably Pickering emulsions, bigels, and multiple emulsions. These emerging technologies not only exemplified the ongoing innovation in the field but also underscored their potential in reshaping the future landscape of value-added functional foods.

Keywords:

• Lipid-based delivery system
• mapping patents
• Pickering emulsion
• bigel
• multiple emulsion

Author contributions

Xidong Liu: Methodology, Formal analysis, Investigation, Data Curation. Zengliu Song: Writing – Original Draft and Writing-Review and Editing. Wenni Tian: Data Curation. Abdullah: Review and Editing. Qingrong Huang: Writing-Review and Editing. Meimiao Chen: Data collecting. Yanping Huang: Data collecting. Hang Xiao: Writing-Review and Editing, Conceptualization, Supervision. Jie Xiao: Conceptualization, Resources, Writing – Review and Editing, Supervision.

Disclosure statement

No potential competing interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was financially supported by the Program for Guangdong Introducing Innovative and Entrepreneurial Teams (2019ZT08N291), Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province (2024A1515012315), and Chinese Institute of Food Science and Technology-Mengniu Nutrition and Health Technology Young Scholar Fund (2023-M07). This work was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China; the Pearl River’s Young Scholar Project in Guangdong Province.