Integrated platform for delivery of nutraceuticals and micronutrients

很明显，健康的饮食可以大大减少患毁灭性慢性或致命疾病的机会，包括癌症、心血管疾病、糖尿病、骨质疏松症和神经退行性疾病。新的加拿大食物指南建议多吃新鲜水果和蔬菜。大多数加拿大人的饮食都达不到这一高标准，而生活在发展中国家的世界上至少三分之一的人口没有现实的希望获得这样的饮食。虽然加拿大是一个富裕的国家，但由于其地理和气候的原因，提供推荐的新鲜食品非常困难，而且价格昂贵。食品强化有望提供新鲜水果和蔬菜中存在的关键、活跃的营养成分。为了生产价格合理的含有活性微量营养素和营养保健品的功能性食品，需要通过生产、分销、零售和内部食品制备来保护这些活性化合物，然后在消化系统所需部位进行控制释放，并确保它们有效地被人体吸收。我们建议开发营养素综合输送技术，通过食品系统对活性微量营养素和营养保健品进行保护、靶向输送、控释和增强吸收。我们建议开发基于微乳液的疏水和亲水活性成分递送系统。我们将微乳液固定在玻璃状聚合物涂层中，保护活性成分，直到在消化系统的选定区域释放。在这个项目中，我们将分别开发专门针对疏水和亲水活性成分的微乳液系统。如果成功，我们将测试在每个微乳液相中加入一种或多种活性成分的概念，然后进行微胶囊化。产品将在典型的食品载体中进行测试。将培养3名博士和12名本科生。

It is clear that a healthy diet can significantly reduce the chances of developing devastating chronic or fatal diseases, including cancers,cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, osteoprosis and neurodegenerative diseases. The new Canada Food Guide recommends a diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables. The diet of most Canadians falls short of this high standard, and at least a third of the world's population, living in developing countries have no realistic hope to obtain such a diet. While Canada is a rich country, due to its geography and climate, itis very difficult, and expensive to provide the recommended fresh foods. Food fortification promises a way to provide the critical, active nutritive ingredients present in fresh fruits and vegetables. To produce affordable functional food products containing active micronutrients and nutraceuticals,technology is needed for protecting these reactive compounds through manufacturing, distribution, retail and in-house food preparation, followed by controlled release at the desired site in the digestive system, and ensuring their efficient absorption into the body.We propose to develop integrated nutrient delivery technology for the protection, tergetted delivery, controlled release and enhanced absorption of active micronutrients and nutraceuticals through food systems.We propose to develop microemulsion based delivery systems for hydrophobic and hydrophilic active ingredients. We will immobilize the micronemulsions in glassy polymer coating, protecting the active ingredient, until released in a selected area of the digestive system. In this program we will develop microemulsion systems specifically for hydrophobic and hydrophilic active ingredients separately. When successful, we will test the concepts of incorporating one or more active ingredients in each of the microemulsion phases followed by microencapsulation.The products will be tested in typical food carriers. Three doctorate and some 12 undergraduate students will be trained.