Encapsulation strategies for dietary chlorogenic acid: advances in delivery systems and functional applications

Chlorogenic acid (CGA) is a naturally occurring dietary polyphenol that has attracted significant attention due to its anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, neuroprotective, and anti-cancer properties. These bioactivities highlight CGA’s potential applications across food, nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries. However, its application remains currently limited by low stability, poor physiological stability, and insufficient bioavailability. To address these challenges, diverse encapsulation systems including nanoparticles, micelles, gels, liposomes, and metal-organic frameworks have been developed to protect CGA and from degradation and improve its bioactive efficacy. This review systematically summarizes the state of art encapsulation system for CGA, highlighting their design principles, release characteristics, and therapeutic applications. We aim to compare the strengths and limitations of each system, and provide a comprehensive reference to guide future research and promote the industrial translation of CGA-based formulations.