Table 1.

Recent examples of the utilization of nanoemulsions as delivery systems for various bioactive compounds.

Bioactive Compounds	Method	Particle Diameter	Results	Ref.
Citral	Sonication	˂100 nm	The citral nanoemulsions showed antimicrobial activity against bacteria	[32]
Anise oil	High pressure homogenization	110–180 nm	Nanoemulsions of anise oil showed better long-term stability and antimicrobial activity than bulk anise oil	[33]
β-carotene	Microfluidization	140–160 nm	At 4 °C and 25 °C, the nanoemulsions remained stable throughout 14 days of storage and retarded the degradation of β-carotene	[34]
β-carotene	Spontaneous emulsification	109–145 nm	The transformation and bioaccessibility of β-carotene in the gastrointestinal tract depended on the lipid phase composition of nanoemulsions	[19]
β-carotene	High pressure homogenization	170–180 nm	Nanoemulsions enhanced β-carotene bioaccessibility and bioavailability	[20]
Lycopene	High pressure homogenization	100–200 nm	Lycopene nanoemulsions were partially (66%) digested and highly bioaccessible (>70%)	[21]
Resveratrol	Spontaneous emulsification	45–220 nm	Encapsulation of resveratrol in nanoemulsions improved its chemical stability after exposure to UV light	[14]
Resveratrol	Sonication	20 nm	Nanoemulsions had good loading, and prevented degradation of resveratrol	[35]
Resveratrol	High pressure homogenization	150 nm	The in vitro release of resveratrol exhibited a sustained release profile and the digestion rate of linseed oil was improved	[22]
Vitamin D3	High pressure homogenization	˂200 nm	Whole-fat milk was fortified with vitamin-enriched nanoemulsions and remained stable to particle growth and gravitational separation for ten days	[13]
Vitamin D3	High pressure homogenization	˂200 nm	An animal study showed that the coarse emulsions increased the serum 25(OH)D3 by 36%, whereas the nanoemulsions significantly increased the serum 25(OH)D3 by 73%	[29]
Astaxanthin	Spontaneous emulsification	150–160 nm	Nanoemulsions protected astaxanthin from photodegradation	[36]
Curcumin	High pressure homogenization	80 nm	Nanoemulsions increased the bioaccessibility of curcumin	[23]
Curcumin	Spontaneous emulsification	40–130 nm	Coating with curcumin nanoemulsions can enhance quality and shelf life of chicken fillets	[15]
Curcumin	High pressure homogenization	90–122 nm	Curcumin nanoemulsion-fortified milk exhibited significantly lower lipid oxidation than control (unfortified) milk and milk containing curcumin-free nanoemulsions	[13]
Curcumin	Microfluidization	˂180 nm	Curcumin bioaccessibility was appreciably higher in the presence of nanoemulsions than in their absence	[24]
Curcumin	Microfluidization	83 nm	The droplet size plays a critical role in the degradation of curcumin	[25]
Ginger essential oil	Sonication	57 nm	Ginger essential oil nanoemulsions are used as edible coatings to preserve the quality attributes of chicken breast	[16]
Propolis	Phase inversion emulsification	50 nm	Propolis nanoemulsion can keep the biological activities of extract and be used as a natural food preservative	[37]
5-demethylnobiletin	High pressure homogenization	170–180 nm	The absorption and metabolism of 5-demethylnobiletin depended on oil type in nanoemulsions	[27]
Capsaicin	Sonication	168 nm	Capsaicin nanoemulsion reduced rat gastric mucosa irritation	[13]
Coenzyme Q10	Microfluidization	200 nm	The bioavailability of coenzyme Q10 nanoemulsion in vivo increased 1.8-fold compared with coenzyme Q10 dissolved in oil	[31]