A review on colloidal delivery vehicles using carvacrol as a model bioactive compound

Abstract

Bioactive compounds possess a variety of potentially beneficial bioactivities. However, the application of these ingredients in food, supplement and pharmaceutical industries is often challenged due to their poor solubility, low chemical stability, and unsustainable bioavailability. Carvacrol, for example, can represent a wide range of bioactive compounds that are susceptible to processing, transportation and storage conditions. Colloidal delivery systems for these compounds are a potentially suitable approach to overcome these drawbacks. In the current review, several encapsulation methods have been proposed to construct the colloidal delivery systems using carvacrol as a model bioactive compound. These encapsulation methods include microemulsions, nanoemulsions, liposomes, solid lipid nanoparticles, nanostructure liquid carrier, and biopolymer microgels based on the latest reports. In this review, the carvarol loaded colloidal delivery systems are demonstrated both in vitro and in vivo. Various studies have shown that properly designed carvacrol-loading vehicles can improve the solubility, stability, release profile, and flavor, thus promoting the bioavailability and sustainability of carvacrol as antibiotic alternatives. Sensory qualities of the end products after application of carvarol-loaded colloidal systems are discussed. The assembly mechanism and the perspective structural characteristics of the aforementioned colloidal delivery systems are compared and summarized in this review.