Additionally,
solid-lipid particles may be useful in creating physically
stable systems for the delivery of carotenoids like lycopene, that
often form crystal structures.
In conventional emulsions, the
presence of crystals can create physical instability by causing
partial coalescence of the lipid droplets (McClements, 2005).
However, in solid-lipid particles, it may be possible to overcome
this problem by dispersing the crystalline carotenoid into
a larger solid lipid phase.
Finally, solid-lipid particles offer the
potential to allow for the controlled release of carotenoids in the
inner core of the droplet by selecting a lipid for a solid outer
shell that has a melting point around the temperature of the environment
where carotenoid release is desirable (human body
temperature, during final food preparation, etc.).