Comparison of the structure and properties of liposomes prepared from milk fat globule membrane and soy phospholipids

Cerasome Versus Liposome: A Comparative Pharmacokinetic Analysis Following Intravenous Administration into Rats

Background

Cerasomes, due to their external siloxane network, demonstrate markedly higher physicochemical stability and, therefore, easier handling and storage than liposomes.

Objectives

The main objective of this study was to compare the pharmacokinetics (PK) of cerasome and liposome following intravenous administration. The PK of PEGylated and non-PEGylated cerasomes was also compared to see whether the presence of a hydrophilic siloxane network on the surface of cerasomes can play the role of polyethylene glycol (PEG) in increasing the blood circulation of these vesicles.

Methods

Silver sulfide (Ag2S) quantum dots (Qds)-loaded PEGylated and non-PEGylated cerasomes and PEGylated liposomes were fabricated and thoroughly characterized in terms of particle size, polydispersity index, zeta potential, entrapment efficiency, and in vitro stability. For pharmacokinetic evaluation, the free Qds and the selected formulations were intravenously injected into rats, and blood samples were collected for up to 72 hours. Pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated by the non-compartmental method.

Results

Both cerasomal and liposomal carriers significantly improved the PK of Qds. For example, the elimination half-life (t1/2) and the area under the plasma concentration-time curve from time 0 to time infinity (AUC0-∞) for the free Qds were 4.39 h and 8.01 µg/mL*h and for cerasomal and liposomal formulations were 28.82 versus 26.95 h and 73.25 versus 62.02 µg/mL*h, respectively. However, compared to each other, the plasma concentration-time profiles of PEGylated cerasomes and liposomes displayed similar patterns, and the statistical comparison of their pharmacokinetic parameters did not show any significant difference between the two types of carriers. For PEGylated cerasomes, t1/2 and AUC0-∞ values were respectively 1.6 and 3.3 times greater than the classic cerasome, indicating that despite the presence of a hydrophilic siloxane network, the incorporation of PEG is necessary to reduce the clearance of cerasomes.

Conclusions

The comparable PK of PEGylated cerasomes and liposomes, along with the higher physicochemical stability of cerasomes, can be considered an important advantage for the clinical application of cerasomes. Additionally, the easy surface functionalizing ability of cerasomes confers a dual advantage over liposomes. The study findings also showed that the presence of a hydrophilic siloxane network on the surface of cerasomes alone is not enough to make them circulate long.

Encapsulation of Vitamins Using Nanoliposome: Recent Advances and Perspectives

Nowadays the importance of vitamins is clear for everyone. However, many patients are suffering from insufficient intake of vitamins. Incomplete intake of different vitamins from food sources due to their destruction during food processing or decrease in their bioavailability when mixing with other food materials, are factors resulting in vitamin deficiency in the body. Therefore, various lipid based nanocarriers such as nanoliposomes were developed to increase the bioavailability of bioactive compounds. Since the function of nanoliposomes containing vitamins on the body has a direct relationship with the quality of produced nanoliposomes, this review study was planned to investigate the several aspects of liposomal characteristics such as size, polydispersity index, zeta potential, and encapsulation efficiency on the quality of synthesized vitamin-loaded nanoliposomes.

Functional Significance of Different Milk Constituents in Modulating the Gut Microbiome and Infant Health

Human milk, the gold standard for optimal nourishment, controls the microbial composition of infants by either enhancing or limiting bacterial growth. The milk fat globule membrane has gained interest in gut-related functions and cognitive development. The membrane proteins can directly interact with probiotic bacteria, influencing their survival and adhesion through gastrointestinal transit, whereas membrane phospholipids increase the residence time of probiotic bacteria in the gut. The commensal bacteria in milk act as the initial inoculum in building up the gut colonization of an infant, whereas oligosaccharides promote proliferation of beneficial microorganisms. Interestingly, milk extracellular vesicles are also involved in influencing the microbiota composition but are not well-explored. This review highlights the contribution of different milk components in modulating the infant gut microbiota, particularly the fat globule membrane, and the complex interplay between host- and brain-gut microbiota signaling affecting infant and adult health positively.

Dairy-Derived Emulsifiers in Infant Formula Show Marginal Effects on the Plasma Lipid Profile and Brain Structure in Preterm Piglets Relative to Soy Lecithin

Breastfed infants have higher intestinal lipid absorption and neurodevelopmental outcomes compared to formula-fed infants, which may relate to a different surface layer structure of fat globules in infant formula. This study investigated if dairy-derived emulsifiers increased lipid absorption and neurodevelopment relative to soy lecithin in newborn preterm piglets. Piglets received a formula diet containing soy lecithin (SL) or whey protein concentrate enriched in extracellular vesicles (WPC-A-EV) or phospholipids (WPC-PL) for 19 days. Both WPC-A-EV and WPC-PL emulsions, but not the intact diets, increased in vitro lipolysis compared to SL. The main differences of plasma lipidomics analysis were increased levels of some sphingolipids, and lipid molecules with odd-chain (17:1, 19:1, 19:3) as well as mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acyl chains (16:1, 20:1, 20:3) in the WPC-A-EV and WPC-PL groups and increased 18:2 fatty acyls in the SL group. Indirect monitoring of intestinal triacylglycerol absorption showed no differences between groups. Diffusor tensor imaging measurements of mean diffusivity in the hippocampus were lower for WPC-A-EV and WPC-PL groups compared to SL indicating improved hippocampal maturation. No differences in hippocampal lipid composition or short-term memory were observed between groups. In conclusion, emulsification of fat globules in infant formula with dairy-derived emulsifiers altered the plasma lipid profile and hippocampal tissue diffusivity but had limited effects on other absorptive and learning abilities relative to SL in preterm piglets.

Bovine Milk-Derived Emulsifiers Increase Triglyceride Absorption in Newborn Formula-Fed Pigs

Efficient lipid digestion in formula-fed infants is required to ensure the availability of fatty acids for normal organ development. Previous studies suggest that the efficiency of lipid digestion may depend on whether lipids are emulsified with soy lecithin or fractions derived from bovine milk. This study, therefore, aimed to determine whether emulsification with bovine milk-derived emulsifiers or soy lecithin (SL) influenced lipid digestion in vitro and in vivo. Lipid digestibility was determined in vitro in oil-in-water emulsions using four different milk-derived emulsifiers or SL, and the ultrastructural appearance of the emulsions was assessed using electron microscopy. Subsequently, selected emulsions were added to a base diet and fed to preterm neonatal piglets. Initially, preterm pigs equipped with an ileostomy were fed experimental formulas for seven days and stoma output was collected quantitatively. Next, lipid absorption kinetics was studied in preterm pigs given pure emulsions. Finally, complete formulas with different emulsions were fed for four days, and the post-bolus plasma triglyceride level was determined. Milk-derived emulsifiers (containing protein and phospholipids from milk fat globule membranes and extracellular vesicles) showed increased effects on fat digestion compared to SL in an in vitro digestion model. Further, milk-derived emulsifiers significantly increased the digestion of triglyceride in the preterm piglet model compared with SL. Ultra-structural images indicated a more regular and smooth surface of fat droplets emulsified with milk-derived emulsifiers relative to SL. We conclude that, relative to SL, milk-derived emulsifiers lead to a different surface ultrastructure on the lipid droplets, and increase lipid digestion.

Nature-Assembled Structures for Delivery of Bioactive Compounds and Their Potential in Functional Foods

Consumers are demanding more natural, healthy, and high-quality products. The addition of health-promoting substances, such as bioactive compounds, to foods can boost their therapeutic effect. However, the incorporation of bioactive substances into food products involves several technological challenges. They may have low solubility in water or poor stability in the food environment and/or during digestion, resulting in a loss of their therapeutic properties. Over recent years, the encapsulation of bioactive compounds into laboratory-engineered colloidal structures has been successful in overcoming some of these hurdles. However, several nature-assembled colloidal structures could be employed for this purpose and may offer many advantages over laboratory-engineered colloidal structures. For example, the casein micelles and milk fat globules from milk and the oil bodies from seeds were designed by nature to deliver biological material or for storage purposes. These biological functional properties make them good candidates for the encapsulation of bioactive compounds to aid in their addition into foods. This review discusses the structure and biological function of different nature-assembled carriers, preparation/isolation methods, some of the advantages and challenges in their use as bioactive compound delivery systems, and their behavior during digestion.

New formulation of vitamin C encapsulation by nanoliposomes: production and evaluation of particle size, stability and control release

In the present study, the effects of different ratios of milk phospholipids, cholesterol and phytosterols (Campesterol) powder (50-100%, 0-50%, and 0-50%, respectively) and sonication time (20, 25, 30, 35 and 40 min) were investigated to produce a new formulation of nanoliposomes for encapsulation of vitamin C. The results showed that increasing the time of sonication and decreasing the ratio of phospholipid to phytosterol significantly decreased nanoliposomes' particle size (p < 0.05). The maximum encapsulation efficiency was obtained at 35 and 40 min of sonication time and 75-25 ratio of phospholipid: phytosterol. Also, reducing the sonication time in the same ratio of phospholipid/phytosterol caused to increase the controlled release. The highest stability of vitamin C during 20 days was obtained in the ratio of 75-25 (phospholipids: campesterol). The results showed a positive effect of cholesterol replacement with campesterol on encapsulation efficiency, control release and stability of vitamin C in nanoliposomes.

Invited review: Milk phospholipid vesicles, their colloidal properties, and potential as delivery vehicles for bioactive molecules

The milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) is a unique colloidal assembly of phospholipids and proteins, with numerous potential applications as functional ingredient. The phospholipid components of the MFGM are gaining interest as they are a useful matrix for use as a constituent of delivery systems such as liposomes. Liposomes formulated with milk phospholipids are becoming an alternative to other sources of phospholipids such as soybean or egg yolk. However, incorporation of phospholipids fractionated from the milk fat globule membrane in dairy products requires an in-depth understanding of the functional properties of phospholipids. In particular, it is critical to understand which factors play a role in their stability and bioefficacy as delivery systems. Moreover, chemical and physical modifications of phospholipid liposomes occurring during digestion and the fate of the encapsulated compounds are very important to understand. This review discusses recent findings on the structure and functionality of MFGM, the bioactivity of the phospholipids fraction, their utilization as delivery systems, and their stability through gastrointestinal transit.

Mucus interactions with liposomes encapsulating bioactives: Interfacial tensiometry and cellular uptake on Caco-2 and cocultures of Caco-2/HT29-MTX

Structuring of delivery matrices in foods aquires careful designing for optimal delivery and subsiquent absorption of the beneficial compounds in the gut. There has been quite improvement in mimicking digestion and absorption in vitro but as of yet little is understood on mucus interference in nutrient absorption Therefore in this study interactions of human intestinal mucus with milk and soy phospholipids liposomes carring hydrophilic (epigallocatechin-3-gallate) or hydrophobic (β-carotene) bioactive molecules were investigated. Liposomes of about 100nm were obtained using microfluidization and their behaviour with the human intestinal mucus were evaluated using drop shape tensiometry. The chemistry of the liposomes (milk or soy) and the encapsulated bioactive structure can affect the viscoelastic behaviour of the complex itself. Empty or loaded liposomes were differently interacting with the mucus at the interface. Mucus-liposomes interactions were also studied using cell cultures, Caco-2 (without mucus) and cocultures Caco-2/HT29-MTX (mucus producing). The interaction of mucus layer with liposomes was at some extent aligned with rheological studies. This work demonstrated that delivery systems may interact with the mucosal surface of intestinal cells, and in vitro approaches allow for screening of such interactions. These highlights could help us in carefully designing the delivery systems and moreover choosing the right carrier and/or bioactive that does not jeopardize the optimal delivery of the bioactive structure.

Influence of casein-phospholipid combinations as emulsifier on the physical and oxidative stability of fish oil-in-water emulsions

The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of casein (0.3% w/w) and phospholipid (0.5% w/w) emulsifier combinations on the physical and oxidative stability of 10% fish oil-in-water emulsions at pH 7. For that purpose, three phospholipids were evaluated, namely, lecithin (LC), phosphatidylcholine (PC), and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE). The emulsion stabilized with LC showed the best physical stability having the most negative zeta potential and the lowest mean droplet size. In addition, this emulsion was also the least oxidized in terms of peroxide value and concentration of the volatile oxidation product 1-penten-3-ol. This finding is not explained by the antioxidant activity of LC because it showed similar DPPH scavenging activity and lower metal chelating activity than the other phospholipids. Therefore, these results suggested that other factors such as the combination of casein and lecithin, which could result in a favorable structure and thickness of the interfacial layer, prevented lipid oxidation in this emulsion.

Storage stability and physical characteristics of tea-polyphenol-bearing nanoliposomes prepared with milk fat globule membrane phospholipids

The objective of this work was to better understand the functional properties of milk phospholipids when used as ingredients to prepare liposomes. Liposomal dispersions (10%) were prepared using high-pressure homogenization, and their physical properties as well as their ability to encapsulate tea polyphenols were investigated. The extent of encapsulation, measured by HPLC, increased with tea polyphenol concentration up to about 4 mg·mL(-1). At polyphenol concentrations ≥ 6 mg·mL(-1), the liposome dispersions were no longer stable. The influence of pH (3-7), storage temperature (room temperature or refrigeration), and addition of sugars (0-15%) were studied for liposomes containing 4 mg·mL(-1) polyphenols. The liposomal dispersions were also stable in the presence of peptides. The storage stability of the systems prepared with milk phospholipids was compared to that of liposomes made with soy phospholipids. Soy liposomes were smaller in size than milk phospholipid liposomes, the encapsulation efficiency was higher, and the extent of release of tea polyphenols during storage was lower for milk phospholipid liposomes compared to soy liposomes. The results suggest that milk phospholipids could be employed to prepare tea-polyphenol-bearing liposomes and that the tea catechins may be incorporated in the milk phospholipid bilayer more efficiently than in the case of a soy phospholipid bilayer.

Stability during in vitro digestion of lactoferrin-loaded liposomes prepared from milk fat globule membrane-derived phospholipids

Liposomes loaded with positively charged lactoferrin (LF) were prepared from milk fat globule membrane-derived phospholipids using a thin-layer dispersion method. The entrapment efficiency of LF in the liposomes and the stability during in vitro gastrointestinal digestion were characterized and examined using dynamic light scattering, transmission electron microscopy, and PAGE. The entrapment efficiency of LF encapsulated in the liposomes was about 46%. The entrapped LF remained unchanged as a function of time and pepsin concentration when the liposome samples were digested in a simulated gastric environment, suggesting that the liposomes prepared from milk fat globule membrane-derived phospholipids were stable and protected the entrapped LF from pepsin hydrolysis. In simulated intestinal fluid, the entrapped LF was more susceptible to hydrolysis by the protease in pancreatin, as shown by changes in the diameter and membrane structure of the liposomes. The release of free fatty acids from the liposomes during digestion in simulated intestinal fluid revealed that the phospholipids in the liposomes were partly hydrolyzed by pancreatic lipase. It was suggested that liposomes may prevent the gastric degradation of LF and reduce the rate of hydrolysis of LF in intestinal conditions.

Rapid liposome quality assessment using a lab-on-a-chip

Although liposomes have many outstanding features such as biocompatibility, biodegradability, low toxicity and structural diversity, and are successfully applied in many areas of chemistry and biotechnology, a lack of characterization standards and quality control tools are still inhibiting the translation of liposome technology into clinical routine. The greatest obstacle to clinical scale commercialization is the inability to ensure liposome formulation stability because small size variations or altered surface chemistries can significantly influence in vivo distribution and excretion kinetics that could in turn lead to unpredictable therapy outcomes. To enhance the product development process we have developed a microfluidic biochip containing embedded dielectric microsensors capable of providing quantitative results on formulation composition and stability based on the monitoring of the unique electric properties of liposomes. Computational fluid dynamic (CFD) simulations confirmed that microfluidics offer reproducible and well-defined measurement conditions where a moving liposome suspension within a microchannel behaves like a bulk material. Results of this study demonstrate the ability of microfluidics, in combination with dielectric spectroscopy and multivariate data analysis methods, to identify nine different liposomes. We also show that various liposome modifications such as membrane-bound surface proteins, lipid bilayer soluble drugs, as well as protein and dye encapsulations, can be detected in the absence of any labels or indicators. Since shelf-life stability of a liposome formulation is regarded of prime importance for regulatory approval and clinical application, we further provide a possible practical application of the developed liposome analysis platform as a high-throughput tool for industrial quality insurance purposes.

Oxidative stability of marine phospholipids in the liposomal form and their applications

Marine phospholipids (MPL) have attracted a great deal of attention recently as they are considered to have a better bioavailability, a better resistance towards oxidation and a higher content of eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acids (DHA) than oily triglycerides (fish oil) from the same source. Due to their tight intermolecular packing conformation at the sn-2 position and their synergism with α-tocopherol present in MPL extracts, they can form stable liposomes which are attractive ingredients for food or feed applications. However, MPL are still susceptible to oxidation as they contain large amounts polyunsaturated fatty acids and application of MPL in food and aquaculture industries is therefore a great challenge for researchers. Hence, knowledge on the oxidative stability of MPL and the behavior of MPL in food and feed systems is an important issue. For this reason, this review was undertaken to provide the industry and academia with an overview of (1) the stability of MPL in different forms and their potential as liposomal material, and (2) the current applications and future prospects of MPL in both food and aquaculture industries with special emphasis on MPL in the liposomal form.

Evaluation of two food grade proliposomes to encapsulate an extract of a commercial enzyme preparation by microfluidization

The entrapment by microfluidization of a commercial enzyme extract (Debitrase DBP20) in liposomes using two food grade proliposome (C and S) preparations was studied. Liposomes obtained at a low microfluidization pressure (4000 psi) were distributed in a bimodal population of small (30-40 nm) and large vesicles (300-700 nm). The composition of the proliposome influenced entrapment efficiency and the repartition of the enzyme between the core and the surface of the liposome. More enzyme was associated with the liposomal surface and greater entrapment efficiencies (64%) were obtained for liposomes with the highest negative zeta potential (proliposome C). Increasing microfluidization pressure and increasing the number of passes through the microfluidizer resulted in losses in entrapment efficiency and enzyme activity, due to decreasing liposome size and enzyme denaturation. Entrapment efficiency was not influenced by external pH and enzyme activity was not adversely affected over storage for 18 days under the conditions evaluated.

Microscopical investigations of nisin-loaded nanoliposomes prepared by Mozafari method and their bacterial targeting

Nanoencapsulation may improve activity of protein or polypeptide antimicrobials against a variety of microorganisms. In this study, nanoliposomes prepared from different lipids (Phospholipon 90H, Phospholipon 100H, dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC), stearylamine (SA), dicetyl phosphate (DCP) and cholesterol) by a new, non-toxic and scalable method, were tested for their capacity to encapsulate nisin Z and target bacteria (Bacillus subtilis and Pseudomonasaeruginosa). Factors affecting the entrapment efficiency (charge and cholesterol concentration in the vesicles) and stability of nanoliposomes were assessed. The nanoliposomes and their bacterial targeting were visualised, using different microscopes under air and liquid environments. Nisin was entrapped in different nanoliposomes with encapsulation efficiencies (EE) ranging from 12% to 54%. Anionic vesicles possessed the highest EE for nisin while increase in cholesterol content in lipid membranes up to 20% molar ratio resulted in a reduction in EE. Stability of nanoliposome-encapsulated nisin was demonstrated for at least 14 months at 4 degrees C (DPPC:DCP:CHOL vesicles) and for 12 months at 25 degrees C (DPPC:SA:CHOL vesicles).