Exploring the potential of food encapsulation technologies in aquaculture: Applications, innovations, and future perspectives

The modern aquaculture is increasingly dependent on functional feeds, prophylactic formulations, and additives for water-quality regulation. However, the efficacy of many bioactive agents is constrained by multiple factors, including oxidative degradation with loss of activity, rapid dissolution and leaching in aquatic environments, and discrepancies between laboratory dosing protocols and on-farm feeding practices. Food-grade encapsulation technologies—such as micro-/nanoencapsulation, emulsions, liposomes, and hydrogel carriers—are now mature and can protect labile compounds while enabling controlled release. Their translation to aquaculture, nevertheless, requires targeted optimization that accounts for open-water exposure, mechanical stresses during feed processing, and pronounced interspecies differences in digestive physiology. This review synthesizes recent advances in food-grade carriers and fabrication processes relevant to aquaculture, emphasizing three priorities: (1) enhancing nutrient stability and controlled delivery; (2) improving mucosal targeting efficiency of oral vaccines and therapeutics; and (3) developing water-regulation functions using sustained-release nutrients and recyclable adsorbent materials. We further provide a critical assessment of key translational bottlenecks, including species-specific release kinetics, carrier aggregation and biofouling in complex aquatic matrices, life-cycle toxicological evaluation for non-target organisms, and constraints on cost and scalability for industrial deployment. Finally, we outline future priorities, including standardized in vitro digestion/leaching assays, cross-species benchmarking frameworks, and stimuli-responsive “smart” carriers to accelerate the transition from proof-of-concept to field-ready products. • Propose food-to-aquaculture encapsulation transfer strategies to address challenges. • Construct micro/nano-encapsulated delivery systems to boost aquaculture efficiency. • Developed environment responsive encapsulation materials to achieve water quality control. • Use by-products to build a circular "raw material-application-regeneration" system. • Suggest interdisciplinary integration to promote technological innovation.