Progress in Construction and Food Application of Chitosan-based Nutrient Delivery System

Chitosan is a naturally-occurring alkaline polysaccharide with excellent biocompatibility, biodegradability, low toxicity, and easy preparation. It has been widely used in the construction of delivery systems for various nutrients and bioactive substances. The chitosan-based nutrient delivery systems are mainly constructed by cross-linking, drying, layer-by-layer self-assembly, coalescence, covalent grafting, microfluidics and biosynthesis. Chitosan can be combined with carbohydrates, proteins and liposomes to form a composite carrier that can obtain more excellent performance and broaden its application in food packaging materials, slow release of bioactive substances and probiotic embedding. In addition, this paper further analyzes the obstacles and limitations of the actual application of chitosan-based nutrient delivery systems in the food industry, to provide important references for the application of chitosan-based delivery carriers in imparting new functional properties to foods, developing new food ingredients, and nutrient fortification.