Potential use of bile salts in lipid self-assembled systems for the delivery of phytochemicals

Phytochemicals show many desirable functions such as anti-oxidant, anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, anti-carcinogenic, anti-ageing, activities and so on.These biological functions can only be seen when the compounds are delivered at sufficient concentrations. However, the bioavailability of phytonutrients suffers from their limited absorption, transformation, and rapid clearance from the circulation. In this review, we survey recent studies on the use of bile salts in lipid self-assembled systems to enhance the bioavailability of phytochemicals and, consequently, their biological activity. The effect of bile salts on lipid self-assembled systems in terms of morphology, encapsulation efficiency, stability, bioavailability, and biological activities are discussed.