Sistemas de encapsulación y liberación controlada basados en el uso de puertas moleculares

Mesoporous silica particles (MSP) are structures of silicon dioxide arranged so that they are able to create pores between 2 and 50 nm. The high volume of pores and the internal surface of the MSP make them excellent supports for the encapsulation of bioactive molecules. In addition, the possibility of including molecules acting as molecular gate onto their outer surface allows the design of smart delivery systems. Gated-MSP show "zero release" of the encapsulated molecule, but after the application of a specific external stimulus, the cargo is released as a specific response to the stimulus. This article describes the features of the MSP used in the encapsulation of bioactive compounds, the most important molecular gates to create controlled release systems, as well as examples of application of MSP for the encapsulation and controlled release of food ingredients and nutraceuticals. These applications include the modulation of the bioaccessibility of food ingredients or nutraceuticals as well as the protection of their stability against external agents degradation.