Food bioactives are known to prevent aging, cancer, and other diseases for an overall improved health of the consumer. Nanodelivery provides a means to control stability, solubility, and bioavailability, and also provides controlled release of food bioactives. There are two main types of nanodelivery systems, liquid and solid. Liquid nanodelivery systems include nanoemulsions, nanoliposomes, and nanopolymersomes. Solid nanodelivery systems include nanocrystals, lipid nanoparticles, and polymeric nanoparticles. Each type of nanodelivery system offers distinct benefits depending on the compatibility of nanoparticle properties with the properties of the bioactive and the desired application. Physicochemical properties of nanoparticles such as size, charge, hydrophobicity, and targeting molecules affect the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) of nanodelivery systems. The fate of the bioactive depends on its physicochemical properties and the location of its release. The safety of nanodelivery systems for use in food applications is largely unknown. Toxicological studies consisting of a combination of in silico, in vitro, and in vivo studies are needed to reveal the safety of nanodelivery systems for successful applications in food and agriculture.

Surfactants are used to stabilize nanoemulsions by protecting their physical stability and preventing deterioration of the entrapped bioactive during processing and storage. The effect of surfactant concentration on physical-chemical properties of nanoemulsions with entrapped curcumin, relevant to commercial applications, was addressed in this research. Furthermore, the functionality of nanoemulsified curcumin in terms of lipid oxidation inhibition was determined. Protection against varying pH and thermal treatments was more significant in the nanoemulsions at the elevated surfactant level, but at these high concentrations, the surface charges of the emulsions dramatically decreased under sodium salt addition, which may result in instability over time. Nanoemulsions showed the potential to inhibit malondialdehyde (MDA) formulation by protecting the entrapped curcumin and enhance its antioxidant activity when added to milk. The fortified milk with added curcumin systems had a yellow color compared to the control. The results of the study are critical in choosing the surfactant concentration needed to stabilize emulsified curcumin, and to protect the entrapped curcumin under specific conditions of use to support the utilization of curcumin nanoemulsions as a food additive in different commercial products.

There is a growing interest in the development of organic nanomaterials for biomedical applications. An increasing number of studies focus on the uses of nanomaterials with organic structure for regeneration of bone, cartilage, skin or dental tissues. Solid evidence has been found for several advantages of using natural or synthetic organic nanostructures in a wide variety of dental fields, from implantology, endodontics, and periodontics, to regenerative dentistry and wound healing. Most of the research is concentrated on nanoforms of chitosan, silk fibroin, synthetic polymers or their combinations, but new nanocomposites are constantly being developed. The present work reviews in detail current research on organic nanoparticles and their potential applications in the dental field.

Advantages of polymeric nanoparticles as drug delivery systems include controlled release, enhanced drug stability and bioavailability, and specific tissue targeting. Nanoparticle properties such as hydrophobicity, size, and charge, mucoadhesion, and surface ligands, as well as administration route and suspension media affect their ability to overcome ocular barriers and distribute in the eye, and must be carefully designed for specific target tissues and ocular diseases. This review seeks to discuss the available literature on the biodistribution of polymeric nanoparticles and discuss the effects of nanoparticle composition and administration method on their ocular penetration, distribution, elimination, toxicity, and efficacy, with potential impact on clinical applications.