Chapter 18 - Solid lipid nanoparticles and nanostructured lipid carriers

Abstract

Fats and oils are important components in many food, personal care, and pharmaceutical applications. They can serve as carriers of functional components such as vitamins, aromas, colors, nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals, or skin moisturizers. For many applications, dispersions are manufactured from mixtures of lipids and functional components yielding lipid emulsions or suspensions. A nanostructuring of the lipid matrix, especially one composed wholly or partially of solid fat, has proven to provide additional functional benefits as it pertains to stability—in particular that of ω-3 fatty acids—control of release, and uptake of encapsulated components. In this chapter, a definition and description of the makeup of solid lipid nanoparticles and nanostructured lipid carriers are given and factors are highlighted that impact their stability. Their use as encapsulation vehicles is then discussed, in particular as it pertains to ω-3 fatty acids. Furthermore, other applications such as the delivery of functional compounds of general interest to the food, pharmaceutical, and personal care industries are examined. Finally, issues surrounding digestion in the context of nanostructured lipid dispersions are briefly discussed.