Self-Nanoemulsifying Drug Delivery Systems (SNEDDS): A Thermodynamic and Molecular Approach and their Potential Applications in Functional Foods

Oil-in-water nanoemulsions are colloidal systems created by the dispersion of two immiscible liquid phases. However, because of the coexistence of polar and non-polar components, these mixtures are thermodynamically unstable and, therefore, prone to physical instability. Fortunately, the use of surfactants helps reducing the interfacial tension between the phases and thereby increase their kinetic stability. Self-Nanoemulsifying Drug Delivery Systems (SNEDDS) stand out among the low-energy methods to prepare such systems. These structures utilize the internal energy of an anhydrous isotropic mixture composed of oils and surfactants, capable of spontaneously prepare a nanoemulsion upon contact with an aqueous medium with minimal agitation. SNEDDS represent a promising strategy in the food industry to develop functional foods, as they allow the encapsulation and delivery of lipophilic bioactive compounds, thereby improving their bioavailability. However, the complete mechanism underlying the formation of these nanosystems is not yet fully understood, which is crucial for their effective formulation. This work depicts the most recent findings that contribute to elucidating the SNEDDS formation mechanism and their latest applications for the encapsulation of natural bioactive molecules. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2025.

Self-Nanoemulsifying Drug Delivery Systems (SNEDDS): A Thermodynamic and Molecular Approach and their Potential Applications in Functional Foods Academic Article in Scopus