Development and characterization of phyto-vesicles of wedelolactone for hepatoprotective activity

Wedelolactone is isolated from the dried leaves of Eclipta alba (L.) and reported to be effective as a potential hepatoprotective, antibacterial and anti hemorrhagic. Pharmacokinetic studies of wedelolactone reveal its poor absorption through the intestine. The objective of the present study is to enhance bioavailability of wedelolactone by its complexation with phosphatidyl choline and then formulating it as phyto-vesicles for hepatoprotective activity. The complex of wedelolactone rich fraction was prepared with phosphatidyl choline and characterized on the basis of solubility, melting point, thin layer chromatography (TLC), UV, IR and NMR spectroscopy. The complex was further converted into phyto-vesicles and characterized. The hepatoprotective potential of phyto-vesicles was compared with complex, wedelolactone rich fraction and physical mixture of wedelolactone rich fraction and phosphatidyl choline by in vitro method. The results revealed that hepatoprotective activity is better in case of phyto-vesicles as compared to the complex, physical mixture and the wedelolactone itself. Enhanced bioavailability of the wedelolactone complex may be due to the amphiphillic nature of the complex, which greatly enhance the water and lipid solubility of the compound. The present study clearly indicates the superiority of phyto-vesicles over the complex and wedelolactone, in terms of better absorption and improved hepatoprotective activity.