Environmental and Dietary Transitions as Drivers of Advanced Pharmaceutical–Nutraceutical Delivery Systems for Functional Food Bioactives

Functional food bioactives and nutraceutical compounds are increasingly used in health-oriented food and pharmaceutical–nutraceutical products; however, their practical effectiveness is often limited by poor aqueous solubility, instability, oxidation, low bioaccessibility, limited bioavailability, weak gastrointestinal protection, and uncontrolled release. This systematic literature review examined recent evidence on advanced delivery systems used to improve the formulation performance of functional food bioactives. A structured review approach informed by PRISMA 2020 guidelines was followed. Literature published between 2021 and 2026 was identified through databases, publisher platforms, and manual reference checks. After screening 258 records and assessing 58 full texts for eligibility, 26 studies were included in the final synthesis. The included studies covered nanoencapsulation, micro/nanoencapsulation, nanoemulsions, Pickering emulsions, lipid-based nanocarriers, solid lipid nanoparticles, nanostructured lipid carriers, nano-suspensions, hydrogels, probiotic encapsulation systems, and co-encapsulation platforms. Lipid-based and emulsion systems were prominent for hydrophobic nutraceuticals, curcumin, omega-3 oils, DHA, functional lipids, and phytochemicals, while probiotic systems focused on viability protection and gastrointestinal survival. Hydrogels and coencapsulation platforms supported controlled release and multi-bioactive delivery. Overall, advanced pharmaceutical– nutraceutical delivery systems provide important formulation strategies for translating functional food bioactives into stable, bioavailable, and application-ready products.