Recent advances in the encapsulation of natural phenolic compounds: A comprehensive review.

Phenolic compounds are well known for their biological activities according to their various structures, namely antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, anti-allergenic, antiviral, anticancer, antimicrobial, antimutagenic and cardioprotective. In addition, they are important for the overall sensory properties of foods derived from plants. However, phenolic compounds are sensitive to external factors such as heat, light and pH, enzymes and oxygen, which decrease their activity. Their absorption into the body can be lowered or restricted due to poor water dispersibility, the negative effects of the gastrointestinal tract, the breakdown due to chemicals or enzymes, their unpredictive nature, and overall poor digestion. These challenges have led to a large interest in developing new and innovative solutions. A novel method that is peaking interest is the encapsulation of phenolic compounds. Encapsulation involves coating the active materials, typically the phenolic compounds, with a wall material made from a polymer. This method has proven effective in preventing any negative external interactions between the bioactive phenolic compounds and factors such as light, moisture and oxygen and allows for controlled release of the active materials. In addition, it protects the encapsulated compounds from degradation, transfer of the material to the outside and helps separate components that may react with one another. The use of encapsulation has shown great potential in disease treatment and management, by itself and in combination with pharmaceutical drugs, while decreasing possible side effects.