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Updated: Jul 9, 2025

Extraction of Plant-based Capsules for Microencapsulation Applications
Published on: November 9, 2016
Current and New Insights on Delivery Systems for Plant Sterols in Food
V Blanco-Morales1, D Mercatante2, M T Rodriguez-Estrada3,4
1Nutrition and Food Science Area, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain.
Abstract:
Plant sterols are minor bioactive components of food lipids, which are often used for the formulation of functional foods due to their cholesterol-lowering properties. However, they have low solubility and tend to crystallize, which may affect their biological effects, the sensory profile of the sterol-enriched food, and its consumer acceptability. Moreover, due to the unsaturated structure of sterols, they are susceptible to oxidation, so different encapsulation systems have been developed to improve their dispersibility/solubility, stability, delivery, and bioaccessibility. This chapter provides an overview of the main encapsulation systems currently used for plant sterols and their application in model and food systems, with a particular focus on their efficiency and impact on sterol bioaccessibility.
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