Nanoemulsion-based delivery systems

Oil-in-water (O/W) nanoemulsions are exceptional carriers for a wide range of industrial applications, and for several bioactive compounds in functional foods and additives, promoting their homogeneous dispersion in the end product, as well as protecting them from interaction with other ingredients, and from degradation during end product transformation, storage, and preparation. This chapter describes the main features of O/W nanoemulsions for the delivery of bioactive compounds, giving insights on their methods of fabrication, especially from the perspective of industrial applications. In addition, this chapter provides recent examples of O/W nanoemulsions designed and developed for the encapsulation of different classes of payload compounds with diverse functionalities, ranging from the antimicrobial activity of essential oils, to the health-beneficial properties of polyphenols, carotenoids, vitamins, and lipids, as well as organoleptic features of flavors.