Table 1.

Advantages and disadvantages of nanoencapsulated systems of food antimicrobials.

Delivery system	Physical morphology	Advantage	Disadvantage	Reference
Nanoemulsions	Liquid	Transparent/translucent systems suitable to use in beverages Carrier of hydrophobic compounds Rapid absorption Toxicological safe Good shelf stability	Rapid release Low stability in acidic condition Low-energy methods are limited in food sector	[13] [59]
Nanoparticles
(a) Nanospheres	Solid	Large surface-to-volume ratios Controlled release of insoluble actives	Lack of stability of some actives High production costs	[60] [61]
(b) Nanocapsules	Solid	The use of natural polymers such as polysaccharide and proteins can increase bioavailability and biodegradability	Large dispersion of encapsulated actives A purification process is necessary after the synthesis of nanocapsules	[60] [61] [62] [63]
(c) Solid lipid nanoparticles	Solid	Increase the aqueous solubility of the compound Produce a prolonged release and decrease the toxic side effects of the compound Rapid formulation development	Recrystallization risk and low encapsulation load	[13] [64]
Liposomes	Liquid	Capability to either encapsulate water-soluble drugs in their cavity or to solubilize lipophilic drugs in their bilayer Targetability High stability of compounds in foodstuff with high water content Large-scale production	Rapid release Short shelf lives	[65] [66] [67]
Nanofibers	Solid	Large surface area and porosity Possibility of large-scale production Capability to carry heat sensitive compounds High gas permeability	Biopolymers solubility limits their use in electrospinning	[68] [69] [70]