Advanced encapsulation techniques for naringin: combining in-vitro mechanisms, in-vivo evidence, and pharmacokinetic insights for targeted pharmaceutical and functional food applications.

This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of emerging and widely used encapsulation strategies, and pharmacokinetics of free naringin, with focus on in-vivo studies. Naringin's poor bioavailability, variable biocompatibility of encapsulating carriers, and limited clinical pharmacokinetic evidence are the major constraints to its potential translational application. Additionally, its poor solubility, absorption, stability, and bitterness are limiting its clinical and functional food applications. However, various encapsulation methodologies and carriers including polymeric nanoparticles, lipid-based nanoparticles have emerged to enhance naringin's bioavailability, solubility, stability, and masking bitterness, hence improving its pharmacological efficacy and functional food applications. While encapsulation protects naringin, it simultaneously modifies the dissolution environment proving it is beneficial for translational applications. Encapsulation provides strategies to create formulations capable of improving naringin absorption within the gastrointestinal system, particularly when integrated with food-compatible materials like dextrin, lipospheres, and chitosan. Naringin and naringin encapsulates hold therapeutic potential while anticipating further clinical research to elucidate their mechanisms in humans.