The use of natural food ingredients has been increased in recent years due to the negative health implications of synthetic ingredients. Natural bioactive compounds are important for the development of health-oriented functional food products with better quality attributes. The natural bioactive compounds possess different types of bioactivities, e.g., antioxidative, antimicrobial, antihypertensive, and antiobesity activities. The most common method for the development of functional food is the fortification of these bioactive compounds during food product manufacturing. However, many of these natural bioactive compounds are heat-labile and less stable. Therefore, the industry and researchers proposed the microencapsulation of natural bioactive compounds, which may improve the stability of these compounds during processing and storage conditions. It may also help in controlling and sustaining the release of natural compounds in the food product matrices, thus, providing bioactivity for a longer duration. In this regard, several advanced techniques have been explored in recent years for microencapsulation of bioactive compounds, e.g., essential oils, healthy oils, phenolic compounds, flavonoids, flavoring compounds, enzymes, and vitamins. The efficiency of microencapsulation depends on various factors which are related to natural compounds, encapsulating materials, and encapsulation process. This review provides an in-depth discussion on recent advances in microencapsulation processes as well as their application in food systems.

Various potential sources of bioactive components exist in nature which are fairly underutilized due to the lack of a scientific approach that can be sustainable as well as practically feasible. The recovery of bioactive compounds is a big challenge and its use in food industry to develop functional foods is a promising area of research. Various techniques are available for the extraction of these bioactives but due to their thermolabile nature, there is demand for nonthermal or green technologies which can lower the cost of operation and decrease operational time and energy consumption as compared to conventional methods. Ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) is gaining popularity due to its relative advantages over solvent extraction. Thereafter, ultrasonication as an encapsulating tool helps in protecting the core components against adverse food environmental conditions during processing and storage. The review mainly aims to discuss ultrasound technology, its applications, the fundamental principles of ultrasonic-assisted extraction and encapsulation, the parameters affecting them, and applications of ultrasound-assisted extraction and encapsulation in food systems. Additionally, future research areas are highlighted with an emphasis on the energy sustainability of the whole process.

The study was conducted to explore the possibilities of utilization of green cabbage (Brassica olerecea) in the preparation of chicken meatballs and their subsequent storage at 4 ± 1°C. The green cabbage was incorporated at various levels, namely 0%, 15% and 25% by replacing lean meat in the formulation. Crude protein, fat, ash and energy content of the chicken meatballs showed significantly (p < .05) decreasing trend with increasing levels of green cabbage. There was a significant (p < .05) increase in the moisture content, cooking yield, moisture retention and moisture protein ratio in treated products than control and recorded highest for T₂. Chicken meatballs were aerobically packaged and assessed for storage quality under refrigerated (4 ± 1°C) conditions. Sensory attributes showed a significantly (p < .05) decreasing trend for both control as well as green-cabbage-incorporated chicken meatballs, whereas pH, total plate counts, yeast and mould count, free fatty acid and thiobarbituric acid reacting substances values increased significantly (p < .05) throughout the storage. The results conclude that green cabbage, which is rich in antioxidant compounds, could be used in chicken meatballs to extend the storage life by retarding the lipid oxidation and microbial growth at refrigeration temperature (4 ± 1°C).