**4. Conclusions**

The list of emulsion formulations having a remarkable impact in our lives is vast, and therefore, it is not surprising that natural molecules have been emerging as important players to partially or completely replace the available non-sustainable options. The future leading role of cellulose as an effective stabilizing agent is unquestionable and opens a new era of sustainable, biocompatible, and valueadded functional materials. Surfactant-free emulsions have recently been developed using all forms of cellulose (crystalline, fibrillated, molecular and regenerated), providing a strong support for the vision of cellulose as an amphiphilic molecule, capable of acting as a polymeric surfactant and a Pickering stabilizer. Structural differences and mechanisms of emulsion stabilization between the different cellulose forms have been presented in this chapter. In general, and given the right conditions, cellulose coatings are a powerful mechanical barrier against coalescence, lipid oxidation and lipid digestion. Non-adsorbed cellulose forms a 3D network in the continuous phase, that constrains droplet movements and enhances kinetic stability. The colloidal assembly of cellulose particles when liquid interfaces of notably different polarities are present might serve as a template for the synthesis of new functional microcapsules. The dissolution-regeneration process is highlighted as an important approach of making cellulose-based emulsions, whose hydrophilic–lipophilic balance can be simply tuned by playing with solvent quality and regeneration coagulant(s). Furthermore, the exceptional stability against environmental stresses (pH, ionic strength and temperature) makes the cellulose regenerated coatings potential candidates for target delivery in complex conditions.
