Oral and edible biomaterials for anti-obesity therapeutics: Protecting and delivering bioactive compounds through the GI tract

Abstract

The oral administration of anti-obesity therapeutic peptides and phytoactive substances faces significant challenges due to gastrointestinal instability, inadequate solubility, and limited permeability. Gastric and intestinal enzymes rapidly degrade peptides, but phytoactive compounds such as polyphenols and flavonoids often undergo chemical changes under acidic or oxidative conditions, therby diminishing their medicinal efficacy. Their systemic bioavailability is further constrained by poor water solubility and a limited intestinal epithelial permeability, and substantial first-pass metabolism, which reduces circulating levels. Edible biomaterials offer advantageous solutions by protecting these bioactive compounds, enhancing solubility, facilitating mucosal transport, and enabling regulated release. Advancing these systems from laboratory scale to commercial application necessitates meticulous optimization of production processes, such as spray drying, extrusion, and electrospinning, to ensure consistency and encapsulation efficiency. Regulatory assessment is crucial to guarantee safety, quality, and compliance, regardless of whether the biomaterial is designated for culinary applications or pharmaceutical delivery. Oral biomaterials have significant potential to enhance the delivery of peptides and phytoactive substances to effectively control obesity.

Keywords: Anti-obesity therapeutics; Oral biomaterials; Peptide delivery; Phytochemicals bioavailability.