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Current and New Insights on Delivery Systems for Plant Sterols in Food

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Implication of Oxysterols and Phytosterols in Aging and Human Diseases

Part of the book series: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology ((AEMB,volume 1440))

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Abstract

Plant sterols are minor bioactive components of food lipids, which are often used for the formulation of functional foods due to their cholesterol-lowering properties. However, they have low solubility and tend to crystallize, which may affect their biological effects, the sensory profile of the sterol-enriched food, and its consumer acceptability. Moreover, due to the unsaturated structure of sterols, they are susceptible to oxidation, so different encapsulation systems have been developed to improve their dispersibility/solubility, stability, delivery, and bioaccessibility. This chapter provides an overview of the main encapsulation systems currently used for plant sterols and their application in model and food systems, with a particular focus on their efficiency and impact on sterol bioaccessibility.

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Acknowledgments

Authors thank the financial support from project PID2019-104167RB-I00/AEI/10.13039/501100011033, as well as from the Basic Research Funding RFO of the Alma Mater Studiorum-University of Bologna. V. Blanco-Morales holds a grant for the requalification of the Spanish university system from the Ministry of Universities of the Government of Spain, financed by the European Union, NextGeneration EU.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nutrition and Food Science Area, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain

    V. Blanco-Morales & G. Garcia-Llatas

  2. Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum—University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy

    D. Mercatante & M. T. Rodriguez-Estrada

  3. CIRI-Agrifood (Interdepartmental Centre of Industrial Agrifood Research), Alma Mater Studiorum—University of Bologna, Cesena, Italy

    M. T. Rodriguez-Estrada

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  1. V. Blanco-Morales
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  2. D. Mercatante
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  3. M. T. Rodriguez-Estrada
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  4. G. Garcia-Llatas
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Correspondence to M. T. Rodriguez-Estrada .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biochemistry (Biochemstry of the peroxisome, inflammation and lipid metabolism), University of Bourgogne & Inserm, Dijon, France

    Gérard Lizard

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Blanco-Morales, V., Mercatante, D., Rodriguez-Estrada, M.T., Garcia-Llatas, G. (2024). Current and New Insights on Delivery Systems for Plant Sterols in Food. In: Lizard, G. (eds) Implication of Oxysterols and Phytosterols in Aging and Human Diseases. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 1440. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-43883-7_20

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