Abstract: Microencapsulation technology has been widely applied in the food industry to effectively improve the applications of bioactive substances. The development of the food industry has spurred researchers to constantly improve this technology. In this article, the common wall materials and methods used for the preparation of microcapsules are reviewed. Firstly, the properties and applications of natural microcapsule wall materials and modified wall materials are summarized. Then, the application process and improvement strategies of layer-by-layer self-assembling, complex coacervation and yeast-cell-based microencapsulation are elaborated. Besides, the effects of the improvement strategies are also presented, deepening the understanding of the microcapsule preparation techniques. Finally, the concerns about microcapsule wall materials and preparation methods, as well as the development trends of microencapsulation technology are discussed. This review is expected to provide a theoretical basis for promoting further development of microencapsulation technology.

Key words: microencapsulation technology, natural wall material, modified wall material, preparation methods