Recent advances in emulsion-based delivery approaches for curcumin: From encapsulation to bioaccessibility

Key factors that influence curcumin delivery include emulsion droplet size, oil composition, volume fraction, dispersion conditions of curcumin in the oil phase and the type of interfacial materials. Nanoemulsions have been the preferred choice for delivery of curcumin up to now. Although scarce in literature, emulsions stabilized by edible Pickering particles as shown by recent evidence are effective in protecting curcumin in an in vitro gastrointestinal setting due to their high coalescence stability. Further studies with emulsions stabilized by food-grade particles and accurate tracking of the physiological fate (in vitro to human trials) of different emulsion-based delivery vehicles are essential for rational designing of curcumin-rich functional foods with high bioaccessibility.