Abstract: Lipophilic active substances are of great interest to the field of food and health products because of their natural advantages and potential functional properties. However, they are difficult to effectively digest and absorb in the human body due to their hydrophobicity, environmental sensitivity deficiencies (such as oxygen, light, temperature) and partial or complete degradation in the digestive tract after ingestion. Using alginate nano-delivery carriers with strong stability and barrier effect can effectively solve the above problems while prolonging the release of lipophilic active substances. This paper reviews the structure of alginate and its functional properties such as gelation properties, pH response and biological activity, with a focus on the current status of research on alginate nanocarriers, such as nanoemulsions, nanoparticles, nanogels and nanofibers for the delivery of lipophilic active substances as well as the advantages and disadvantages of different nanocarriers. Finally, this article summarizes the application status of alginate in the food field, aiming to provide a reference for the application of lipophilic active substances in the food field.

Key words: alginate; nanocarrier; lipophilic active substances; application