Research Projects

Micronutrient and bioactive deficiencies continue to impact public health globally. These conditions are increasingly driven by poor dietary patterns, lifestyle factors, and aging-related nutrient malabsorption, affecting both undernourished and affluent populations alike. Bioactive compounds often suffer from degradation during processing or gastrointestinal transit, further limiting their functional efficacy. While functional foods offer a promising route to address these gaps, many bioactives suffer from poor stability, solubility, and low bioavailability. Conventional systems lack spatial and temporal control, limiting personalized nutrition. There is a need for a delivery system that can tailor bioactive release based on individual health, age, and metabolic needs. To overcome these limitations, this project proposes the development of an edible, 3D-printable bigel-based delivery system capable of co-encapsulating both hydrophilic and lipophilic bioactives using niosomal nanocarriers and structured gel matrices. Lipophilic bioactive compounds (e.g., lipophilic vitamins, carotenoids, ω-3 fatty acids, etc.) will be encapsulated in niosomes within the oleogel phase, while hydrophilic compounds (e.g., ascorbic acid, polyphenols) will be incorporated in the hydrogel phase. These phases will be integrated into a biphasic bigel system optimized for mechanical strength, thermal stability, and targeted sequential release behavior during gastrointestinal digestion. Advanced 3D food printing will be employed to fabricate personalized food formats with precise nutrient delivery, tailored texture, and enhanced sensory appeal. This approach addresses key challenges in co-delivery systems, including compound compatibility, spatial separation, and sequential release. The proposed system will be evaluated for physicochemical integrity, rheological behavior, printability, and simulated gastrointestinal release to ensure its viability as a novel functional food platform. Although bigels and niosomes have been individually studied in food and pharmaceutical contexts, their integration into a niosome-assisted co-encapsulated system for 3D-printed edible matrix for functional food application remains unexplored. This approach offers multi-phase protection and controlled release of both hydrophilic and lipophilic bioactive compounds within a single, customizable matrix. By bridging encapsulation technology with 3D food printing, this project aims to deliver a next-generation nutrition solution that supports personalized nutrition, improved compliance, and innovative disease prevention through 3D-printed functional foods.

Bigel, Niosome, 3D Food Printing, Sequential Delivery, Personalized nutrition, Oleogel-hydrogel