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Updated: Aug 7, 2026
07:48
Rapid Encapsulation of Reconstituted Cytoskeleton Inside Giant Unilamellar Vesicles
Published on: November 10, 2021
Highly efficient capture and long-term encapsulation of dye by catanionic surfactant vesicles
Xiang Wang1, Emily J Danoff, Nikolai A Sinkov
1Departments of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742-2111, USA.
Langmuir : the ACS Journal of Surfaces and Colloids
|July 13, 2006
Summary
Cationic surfactant vesicles efficiently sequestered carboxyfluorescein dye through encapsulation and adsorption. These catanionic vesicles exhibit lower permeability and higher loading capacity than traditional phosphatidylcholine vesicles.
Area of Science:
- Colloid and Surface Chemistry
- Materials Science
- Biophysical Chemistry
Background:
- Surfactant vesicles are crucial in drug delivery and materials science.
- Understanding catanionic vesicle properties is key for advanced applications.
- Carboxyfluorescein is a model anionic dye for studying encapsulation and sequestration.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the sequestration of carboxyfluorescein using vesicles formed from cetyltrimethylammonium tosylate (CTAT) and sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate (SDBS).
- To compare the properties of catanionic vesicles with traditional phosphatidylcholine vesicles regarding permeability and loading capacity.
Main Methods:
- Formation of catanionic vesicles from CTAT and SDBS.
- Sequestration of carboxyfluorescein within the vesicles.
- Measurement of encapsulation efficiency and dye adsorption.
- Determination of vesicle membrane permeability and loading capacity.
Main Results:
- CTAT-rich vesicles efficiently sequestered carboxyfluorescein via encapsulation and electrostatic adsorption.
- Apparent encapsulation efficiency reached 22%, including both fractions.
- SDBS-rich vesicles did not entrap carboxyfluorescein.
- Catanionic vesicle membrane permeability was significantly lower (order of magnitude) than phosphatidylcholine vesicles.
- Loading capacity of catanionic vesicles was over 10 times greater than phosphatidylcholine vesicles.
Conclusions:
- Catanionic vesicles demonstrate effective sequestration of anionic dyes like carboxyfluorescein.
- The dual mechanism of encapsulation and adsorption enhances loading efficiency.
- The superior membrane properties of catanionic vesicles offer advantages for applications requiring low permeability and high capacity.
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