Nanocomposites for Pharmaceuticals and Nutraceuticals

The concept of nanotechnology in relation to the food industry is a new platform for the improvement of nutraceuticals because it offers precise control over the process of delivering and releasing the bioactive compounds. The use of such nanoscale structures as liposomes and micelles and new structures such as solid lipid nanoparticles enables the increase in water solubility, stability, and bioavailability of non-hydrophilic nutrients with poor water solubility. This results in increased effectiveness and fewer unwanted effects, including more accurate delivery to needed cells or tissues. Also, it enhances the stability of some sensitive products as this minimizes degradation, thus increasing the shelf life of a product. Hence, by extending the delivery systems beyond the standard scope, nanotechnology presents powerful opportunities to transform the nutraceutical market and deliver better products to consumers. Thus, nanotechnology can be defined as an area of science focused on studying structures at the nanoscale levels of atoms and molecules. It is at the moment attracting a large number of investments aimed at the creation of new nanostructured materials. Thus, nanotechnology can be used in several fields of study. Notably, the use of nanotechnology for the therapeutic and diagnostic potential in oncology with cardiology and neurology is on the rise. Due to the features that nanoparticles can possess, such as biodegradability, biocompatibility, and the possibility of being scaled up industrially, their use has been successful. A number of nanomaterials have also been proved to be beneficial when tested on people as a form of treatment for different diseases.