Self-assembled lipids for food applications: A review

Area of Science:

• Food Science and Technology
• Nanotechnology
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Lipids are crucial in human nutrition and food manufacturing.
• Self-assembled lipids (SLs) are gaining attention for creating advanced colloidal structures.
• SLs enable the protection of sensitive compounds like polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and essential oils.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the state-of-the-art in lipid-lipid self-assembly for food applications.
• To analyze the formation and properties of various self-assembled lipid structures.
• To highlight recent advancements in the past five years.

Main Methods:

• Literature review focusing on lipid-lipid self-assembly.
• Analysis of non-covalent interactions (hydrogen, hydrophilic, ionic bonding) driving self-assembly.
• Examination of factors influencing SL formation (pH, temperature, ionic strength).

Main Results:

• Lipids self-assemble into diverse structures like micelles, vesicles, liquid crystals, oleogels, and films.
• These structures serve various food applications including coatings, controlled release, emulsions, and functional foods.
• SLs facilitate the development of targeted colloidal systems for improved bioavailability of bioactive compounds.

Conclusions:

• Lipid-lipid self-assembly is a key nanotechnological approach for innovative food ingredient design.
• Understanding self-assembly mechanisms allows for tailored structures with enhanced functional properties.
• SLs represent a promising avenue for developing next-generation functional foods and delivery systems.