Sensitive delivery systems and novel encapsulation technologies for live biotherapeutic products and probiotics

Abstract

Live biotherapeutic product (LBP), a type of biological product, holds promise for the prevention or treatment of metabolic disease and pathogenic infection. Probiotics are live microorganisms that improve the intestinal microbial balance and beneficially affect the health of the host when ingested in sufficient numbers. These biological products possess the advantages of inhibition of pathogens, degradation of toxins, and modulation of immunity. The application of LBP and probiotic delivery systems has attracted great interest to researchers. The initial used technologies for LBP and probiotic encapsulation are traditional capsules and microcapsules. However, the stability and targeted delivery capability require further improved. The specific sensitive materials can greatly improve the delivery efficiency of LBPs and probiotics. The specific sensitive delivery systems show advantages over traditional ones due to their better properties of biocompatibility, biodegradability, innocuousness, and stability. Moreover, some new technologies, including layer-by-layer encapsulation, polyelectrolyte complexation, and electrohydrodynamic technology, show great potential in LBP and probiotic delivery. In this review, novel delivery systems and new technologies of LBPs and probiotics were presented, and the challenges and prospects were explored in specific sensitive materials for LBP and probiotic delivery.

Keywords:

• Live biotherapeutic product
• probiotic
• delivery system

Authors contributions

Shuang Li: Conceptualisation; writing–original draft; writing–review and editing. Yi-Xuan Zhang: Funding acquisition; writing–review and editing.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Science & Technology Fundamental Resources Investigation Program (Grant No. 2019FY100700), Liao Ning Revitalization Talents Program (Grant No. XLYC1902072), and Newly Introduced PhD Start-up Fund of Shenyang Pharmaceutical University (Grant No. 2311520035).