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Liposomes
Liposomes can act as delivery vehicles for a wide spectrum of bioactive compounds. Liposomes are small spherical vesicles consisting of one or more membranes surrounding aqueous compartments. Structurally, these membranes consist of bilayers of phospholipids, natural molecules which are also the main component of human cell membranes. Because of the presence of a water as well as a lipid compartment within one liposome particle, both water soluble  and poorly water soluble compounds can be incorporated in liposomes. Until recently, the use of liposomes in medicine was mainly restricted to their use as pharmaceuticals. Their application as nutraceuticals is currently  rapidly evolving, mainly inspired by the possibility that liposomal incorporation can enhance the often poor uptake of nutraceutical compounds into the bloodstream after oral intake.

Nutraceuticals
The term nutraceutical combines the words nutrient and pharmaceutical, originally coined by Stephen DeFelice, who defined nutraceuticals as “food or part of a food that provides medical or health benefits, including the prevention and/or treatment of a disease”. However, currently, there is no conclusive definition of nutraceuticals yet, to distinguish them from other food‐derived categories, such as food (dietary) supplements, herbal products, pre‐ and probiotics, functional foods, and fortified foods. Generally, this term is used to describe any product derived from food sources which is expected to provide health benefits additionally to the nutritional value of daily food. A wide range of nutrients or other substances with nutritional or physiological effects (EU Directive 2002/46/EC) might be present in these products, including vitamins, minerals, amino acids, essential fatty acids, fibres and various plants and herbal extracts.

Advantages of liposomal nutraceuticals
Liposomal nutraceuticals contain bioactive compounds with health-promoting effects. The encapsulation of bioactive compounds in liposomes is attractive as liposomes have been shown to be able to overcome serious hurdles bioactives would otherwise encounter in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract upon oral intake. Poor water solubility and degradation during their passage through the GI tract are often strongly limiting the entry of these compounds into the bloodstream. Liposome encapsulation can increase the arrival of such compounds in the blood circulation (bioavailability) by providing solubilization and protection. The exact mechanisms by which liposomes are able to increase the bioavailability of such compounds are still under investigation. As liposomes are composed of building blocks that are also naturally occurring as major components of cell membranes in the human body, they are biodegradable and safe for oral use.