Recent development in nanoencapsulation and delivery of natural bioactives through chitosan scaffolds for various biological applications.

Nowadays, nano/micro-encapsulation as a pioneering technique may significantly improve the bioavailability and durability of Natural bioactives. For this purpose, chitosan as a bioactive cationic natural polysaccharide has been frequently used as a carrier because of its distinct chemical and biological properties, including polycationic nature, biocompatibility, and biodegradability. Moreover, polysaccharide-based nano/micro-formulations are a new and extensive trend in scientific research and development in the disciplines of biomedicine, bioorganic/ medicinal chemistry, pharmaceutics, agrochemistry, and the food industry. It promises a new paradigm in drug delivery systems and nanocarrier formulations. This review aims to summarize current developments in approaches for designing innovative chitosan micro/nano-matrix, with an emphasis on the encapsulation of natural bioactives. The special emphasis led to a detailed integrative scientific achievement of the functionalities and abilities for encapsulating natural bioactives and mechanisms regulated in vitro/in vivo release in various biological/physiological environments.