Recent advances in lipid-protein conjugate-based delivery systems in nutraceutical, drug, and gene delivery

Lipid and protein-based delivery systems have long been used to deliver active compounds such as drugs, genes, and nutraceuticals. These delivery systems are fabricated to overcome issues of pure active compounds, which include rapid release and metabolism, poor solubility, low stability, poor bioavailability, poor bioaccessibility, and toxicity. However, there are limitations of lipids and proteins that restrict their efficient use in the delivery systems. Lipid-protein conjugation is an emerging technique for fabricating novel delivery systems that provide the advantages of having both proteins and lipids in one delivery system. In addition, these conjugates have a much better synergistic effect and desirable properties inside the body than single carriers. Among them, colloidal and biological stability, enhanced mechanical strength, controlled release, higher circulation time, targeted delivery, less cytotoxicity, higher loading capacity, co-encapsulation, and enhanced bioavailability are key outcomes. Despite recent technological advancement, there are still drawbacks to lipid-protein conjugate-based delivery systems that should be addressed in future research studies. This review is focused on critically evaluating the importance of lipid and protein as delivery systems, benefits of lipid-protein conjugation, conjugation methods, various applications of lipid-protein conjugation in drugs, genes, and nutraceutical delivery, and identifying research challenges and future research directions.