Abstract: Natural phenolic compounds have gained much attention in food, nutraceutical, pharmaceutical and other fields in recent years because of their benefits on human health. However, the application of phenolic compounds is limited due to their poor solubility, stability, and bioavailability. How to protect and deliver these compounds effectively and to maintain their functional properties has become a research hotspot. Electrospinning is a simple and low-cost technique to produce nanofibers, which can serve as nanovehicles for the encapsulation and controlled release of bioactive compounds. It can be used as an effective method to encapsulate phenolic compounds. This review presents an overview of the fundamental principle, types and operating parameters of electrospinning, the polymer matrices commonly used in electrospinning and the advantages of electrospinning, and it summarizes recent studies investigating the application of electrospinning in the encapsulation of phenolic compounds. Finally, future prospects for its application in the food industry are discussed, which will provide theoretical guidance for the application of electrospinning in the food industry.

Key words: electrospinning; phenolic compounds; encapsulation