Yurii N. Polikarpov

Structural and thermodynamic insight into the potentiality of food biopolymers to behave as smart nanovehicles for essential polyunsaturated lipids

Abstract The development of smart (ie, stimuli-sensitive) nanosized natural delivery systems for essential bioactive compounds has attracted particular interest under the functional food formulation. The natural lipids (triacylglycerols and phospholipids), involving the essential ω-3 and ω-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, are among the most important nutraceuticals. The high susceptibility of such lipids to oxidative degradation during product preparation, transport, and storage, as well as their low solubility in water and, consequently, in body fluids, pose a challenge for their use as food ingredients. This chapter will review the key structural and thermodynamic properties underlying the novel functionality of the complex nanosized particles formed by biopolymers (individual caseins; sodium caseinate and covalent conjugates of sodium caseinate with maltodextrins) and polyunsaturated lipids. This new functionality includes both the protection against oxidation for the lipids, and their controllable release under the action of digestive enzymes in vitro.