Recent Advances in Pectin-based Nanoencapsulation for Enhancing the Bioavailability of Bioactive Compounds: Curcumin Oral Bioavailability

Curcumin has gained much attention due to its wide range of health-benefiting effects. However, its low oral bioavailability hampers its use as bioactive compound for functional foods. Nanoencapsulation is a common technique for improving bioavailability of bioactive compounds. Pectin is one of the most common carriers for curcumin. This review highlights a recent advance in pectin-based nanoencapsulation techniques for the entrapment of various bioactive components. Furthermore, interest is on the entrapment of curcumin in pectin-based nanoparticles, as well as its release profile. Moreover, an addition of natural polymers (polysaccharides and/or proteins) can improve the properties of pectin nano-carriers.