Ultrasound assisted-Liposomes and Emulsion-Filled Gels are promising candidates as encapsulation agents to deliver phytochemicals

Odd chain phenolics (OCP) and Odd-chain fatty acids (OCFA) are phytochemicals relevant to agri-food byproducts and waste since they predominantly present in residues from food processing. OCFA and OCP encompass both saturated and unsaturated straight-chain fatty acids with an odd number of carbon atoms (e.g., C15, C15:1, C17, C17:1, C19, C19:1, C21, C21:1, C23:0). While OCFA has been employed as internal standards in Gas Chromatography (GC) methods for fatty acid analysis, their importance in the human diet has not been widely recognized e.g. alkylresorcinols/ARs, offer many health benefits and they are present in cereal bran, berries/cherries pomace, and small seeds, like purslanes. Studies on the functionality of OCFA and OCP in food and cell membranes are extremely limited as the role of these compounds have been traditionally undervalued in the diet. Due to their emulsifying properties, OCFA and OCP show promise as emulsifiers and stabilizers in food applications, akin to the role of phospholipids like lecithin. Processes involving emulsions in food are prone to degradation and instability, but encapsulating emulsions provides protection and stability while ensuring their delivery potency over time. Liposomes and Emulsion-Filled Gels (EFGs) are promising candidates as encapsulation agents to deliver food ingredients (e.g., vitamins, flavour agents, and those susceptible to oxidation) in matrices such as in ice cream, cheese, and fermented beverages. High power ultrasound-liposomal systems and EFGs can be used as nanocarriers to encapsulate OCFA and OCP, thereby physically protecting them in food matrices from chemical, physical, or enzymatic degradations.