[Hydrophobic modification of water soluble drug and its reconstitutable liposomes]

Water soluble drugs carried in liposomes have rather low encapsulation percentage (EP%) and poor stability. In this paper metronidazole (I) was chosen as a model of water soluble drugs which was modified by means of esterification. Its myristic ester (II) was synthesized. On studying the liposomes of I and II, the results have shown that EP% and stability of II were more than ten times as high as that of I. Furthermore, the reconstitutable liposomes of II were prepared successfully. The amoebacide activity of II liposomes was increased also. Therefore, the hydrophobic modification of water soluble drugs is a good way to improve the drug entrapped in liposomes.