Bioactive compounds obtained from plants, their pharmacological applications and encapsulation

Abstract Medicinal plants contain bioactive components with beneficial effects for human health. Many plant extracts and active compounds are hydrophobic, and their pharmacological actions can be reduced due their difficulty to be dissolved in the cytoplasmic membrane of cells. Encapsulation of plant extracts and bioactive compounds is a useful strategy to preserve their chemical composition and improve the pharmacological effects and bioavailability. Encapsulation can also mask strong or bitter flavors or odors of plant extracts and control release of active compounds. In this chapter the encapsulation methods are discussed as well as the perspectives of phytomedicines.