Abstract: A microparticle comprising an active substance which is a central core made of liquid, gaseous or solid particle of regular or irregular shape, and the method for entrapping said active substance in a coating material which is conformationally distributed on said active substance and has a thickness ranging from the thickness of a monomolecular layer to about 100 .mu.m. These compositions are useful for applications that require protection, prolonged release, taste masking, improved stability, altered handling behavior, altered surface properties including particle wettability, and other desirably altered properties.