Lipid crystallization: from self-assembly to hierarchical and biological ordering

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Materials Science
• Physical Chemistry

Background:

• Lipid crystallization is a widespread phenomenon in nature and industry.
• Lipids exhibit diverse self-organization in aqueous and dehydrated states, forming crystalline and liquid crystalline phases.
• Lipid architectures are fundamental to biological membranes and consumer products like cosmetics, foods, and medicines.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review diverse lipid organization and self-assembly beyond triglyceride crystallization.
• To highlight the prevalence and importance of liquid crystalline lipid phases.
• To present recent advances and examples of lipid organization in biological and model systems.

Main Methods:

• Literature review focusing on lipid self-organization and crystallization.
• Analysis of lipid behavior in various environments (dehydrated, aqueous).
• Examination of hierarchical lipid structures, including emulsions and nanoparticles.

Main Results:

• Lipids form well-ordered crystals in dehydrated states.
• In aqueous environments, lipids self-assemble into crystalline, liquid crystalline, and disordered phases.
• Hierarchical structures like emulsions and nanostructured particles arise from lipid self-organization.
• Liquid crystalline lipid phases are generally more prevalent than true crystalline forms in biological contexts.

Conclusions:

• Lipid self-organization is crucial for both biological functions and commercial applications.
• Understanding diverse lipid phases, especially liquid crystalline ones, is essential.
• This review expands the scope beyond fats to encompass broader lipid organization phenomena.