Abstract: The conventional natural encapsulating materials and preparation methods for microcapsules were introduced. The natural shell materials include three typical series, i.e., carbohydrates, proteins and lipids. The traditional natural shell materials include sodium alginate, chitosan, glutin, etc., but the noval materials consist of liposome, microbial cell wall (yeast cell wall), porous starch, etc.. The common preparation methods for microcapsules include complex coacervation, simple coacervation, interfacial polymerization, in-situ polymerization, piercing-solidifying, spray drying, etc.. The advanced preparation methods for microcapsules include molecular inclusion, microchannel emulsification, rapid expansion of supercritical solution, yeast microencapsulation, layer-by-layer self-assembly, vesicle templating, etc..

Key words: microcapsule, natural shell material, preparation method