Liposomes have been used for several decades for the encapsulation of drugs and bioactives in cosmetics and cosmeceuticals. On the other hand, the use of these phospholipid vesicles in food applications is more recent and is increasing significantly in the last ten years. Although in different stages of technological maturity—in the case of cosmetics, many products are on the market—processes to obtain liposomes suitable for the encapsulation and delivery of bioactives are highly expensive, especially those aiming at scaling up. Among the bioactives proposed for cosmetics and food applications, vitamins are the most frequently used. Despite the differences between the administration routes (oral for food and mainly dermal for cosmetics), some challenges are very similar (e.g., stability, bioactive load, average size, increase in drug bioaccessibility and bioavailability). In the present work, a systematic review of the technological advancements in the nanoencapsulation of vitamins using liposomes and related processes was performed; challenges and future perspectives were also discussed in order to underline the advantages of these drug-loaded biocompatible nanocarriers for cosmetics and food applications.

Liposomes have been used for several decades for the encapsulation of drugs and bioactives in cosmetics and cosmeceuticals. On the other hand, the use of these phospholipid vesicles in food applications is more recent and has been increasing significantly in the last ten years. Although in different stages of technological maturity - in the case of cosmetics, many products are on the market - processes to obtain liposomes suitable for the encapsulation and delivery of bioactives are highly expensive, especially aiming at scaling-up. Among the bioactives proposed for cosmetics and food applications, vitamins are the most frequently used. Despite the differences between the administration routes (oral for food and mainly dermal for cosmetics), some challenges are very similar (e.g., stability, bioactive load, average size, increase of drug bioaccessibility and bioavailability). In the present work, a systematic review of the technological advancements in the nanoencapsulation of vitamins using liposomes and related processes was performed; challenges and future perspectives were also discussed in order to underline the advantages of these drug loaded biocompatible nanocarriers for cosmetics and food applications.

Liposomes are lipid‐based delivery systems of interest in pharmaceutical, food, and nutraceutical industries due to their ability to encapsulate bioactive compounds, such as vitamins, improving stability, solubility, and bioavailability. This study aimed to develop functional yogurt enriched with vitamins D ₃ and B ₁₂ by encapsulating these micronutrients in liposomal dispersions produced with food‐grade phospholipids, coated with pectin, and subjected to lyophilization. An optimal sucrose concentration was selected as a cryoprotectant to minimize detrimental effects of freeze‐drying on vesicle integrity. Lyophilized vesicles were characterized by bioactive retention and physicochemical properties. High retention of both vitamins was observed across most formulations, except those containing only hydrogenated saturated phospholipids, which showed reduced encapsulation efficiency. These vesicles were incorporated into yogurt, and the enriched product was evaluated for bioactive content, physicochemical and rheological properties, and sensory acceptability. The addition of vesicles did not negatively affect yogurt stability or consumer acceptance. In vitro digestion using the INFOGEST 2.0 protocol revealed increased vitamin D ₃ bioaccessibility after the gastric phase only in samples containing Phospholipon 90G‐based liposomes; however, after the intestinal phase, all formulations showed enhanced availability. Vitamin B ₁₂ bioaccessibility remained consistent throughout digestion. Overall, results demonstrate a viable approach for coencapsulation and protection of hydrophobic and hydrophilic vitamins within a commonly consumed dairy product, offering a promising strategy for developing functional foods supporting daily nutritional supplementation. Practical Applications: Pectin‐coated and uncoated liposomes were successfully freeze‐dried with sucrose as a cryoprotectant. Purified phospholipids improved the bioaccessibility of vitamin D ₃ after gastric digestion. Liposome enrichment did not alter yogurt stability or sensory acceptance. The strategy allows the co‐administration of hydrophilic and hydrophobic vitamins in dairy products.

The present study aimed to investigate the properties of calcium-rich soy protein isolate (SPI) gels (14% SPI; 100 mM CaCl₂), the effects of incorporating different concentrations locust bean gum (LBG) (0.1–0.3%, w/v) to the systems and the stability of the obtained gels. Also, the incorporation of solid lipid microparticles (SLMs) was tested as an alternative strategy to improve the system’s stability and, therefore, potential to be applied as a product prototype. The gels were evaluated regarding their visual aspect, rheological properties, water-holding capacities (WHCs) and microstructural organizations. The CaCl₂-induced gels were self-supported but presented low WHC (40.0% ± 2.2) which was improved by LBG incorporation. The obtained mixed system, however, presented low stability, with high syneresis after 10 days of storage, due to microstructural compaction. The gels’ stability was improved by SLM incorporation, which decreased the gelled matrices’ compaction and syneresis for more than 20 days. Even though the rheological properties of the emulsion-filled gels (EFGs) were very altered due to the ageing process (which may affect the sensory perception of a future food originated from this EFG), the incorporation of SLMs increased the systems potential to be applied as a calcium-rich product prototype.