In recent studies, there has been considerable interest in the development of new drug delivery systems using nanotechnology. There is growing interest in developing protein nanocarriers as GRAS (generally considered safe) drug delivery devices due to their outstanding characteristics such as biodegradability, high nutritional value, abundant renewable sources, and extraordinary binding capacity of various drugs. Soy protein is abundant, renewable, inexpensive and biodegradable. Soy proteins exhibit high carrying capacity, including electrostatic attractions, hydrophobic interactions, and covalent bonds. Soy proteins are generally less effective emulsifiers than other food proteins, such as casein. Instability below its isoelectric point makes it a poor emulsifier for low pH applications. Ultrasonication in combination with low static pressure and low heat, a process called hand-thermosonication (MTS), has been reported to enhance acoustic cavitation activity that is effective in performing a target food processing operation. The use of MTS for various purposes, in particular microbial inactivation in juices, is widely studied in the literature. However, the use of MTS to modify the functionality of soy proteins has not been well documented. Since protein-based nano-carriers are among the most promising delivery systems for encapsulating, protecting, and releasing bioactive components in foods and drugs, I plan to study the effect of MTS treatment on the functionality of soy proteins in the my project. First, I will try to improve the functionality of soy protein, i.e. solubility and emulsifying capacity, with pH modification and MTS treatment. Second, I will develop and characterize soy protein-stabilized nanoemulsions… middle of paper… the amount of highly lipophilic functional components encapsulated within the lipid droplets increases as the droplet size decreases. There are a number of possible reasons for this increase in bioavailability. First, the small droplets have a large surface area and can therefore be digested more quickly by digestive enzymes so that their contents are released and absorbed more easily. Second, small droplets can penetrate the mucous layer lining the epithelial cells of the small intestine, thereby increasing their residence time and bringing them closer to the site of absorption. Third, very small particles could be transported directly across the cell layer of the epithelium by paracellular or transcellular mechanisms. Fourth, the water solubility of highly lipophilic components increases as the droplet size decreases, which can improve absorption [21].