There are several potential advantages to using solid-lipid
particles for delivering carotenoids into foods. First, incorporation
of carotenoids into the core of core-shell solid-lipid particles,
may offer a physical barrier for protecting carotenoids from
aqueous prooxidants. Second, the nature of the lipids used to
create these particles may help to decrease the rate of oxidation
reactions. Since more solid-like lipids are needed to form solid
particles, it is likely that the lipids chosen for solid-lipid particle
applications will be more saturated than fats commonly used in
conventional emulsions. Saturated fats undergo oxidation more
slowly than unsaturated fats (Nawar, 1996), potentially lowering
the likelihood that carotenoids would undergo radical attack
from radicals produced in lipid oxidation reactions. Additionally,
solid-lipid particles may be useful in creating physically
stable systems for the delivery of carotenoids like lycopene, that
often form crystal structures.