Microencapsulation and characterization of liposomal vesicles using a supercritical fluid process coupled with...

Area of Science:

• Chemical Engineering
• Materials Science
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Liposomal microencapsulation is crucial for drug delivery and food technology.
• Traditional methods often involve toxic organic solvents, posing environmental and safety concerns.
• Developing green chemistry approaches for liposome production is an ongoing research priority.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and characterize a novel, environmentally friendly liposomal microencapsulation technique.
• To investigate the solubility of soy phospholipids in supercritical carbon dioxide.
• To optimize encapsulation efficiency by analyzing process parameters.

Main Methods:

• Developed a continuous flow-through process involving supercritical fluid extraction, rapid expansion, and vacuum-driven cargo loading.
• Determined soy phospholipid solubility in supercritical carbon dioxide using a dynamic equilibrium system and correlated data with the Chrastil model.
• Characterized liposomes produced with D-(+)-glucose as cargo, varying expansion pressure, temperature, and cargo loading rates.

Main Results:

• Achieved a maximum encapsulation efficiency of 31.7% under specific conditions (12.41 MPa, 90°C, 0.25 mL/s cargo loading rate).
• Successfully produced liposomes, predominantly large unilamellar and multivesicular vesicles.
• Demonstrated the feasibility of the continuous flow-through process without organic solvents.

Conclusions:

• The developed supercritical fluid-based liposomal microencapsulation is an effective and green alternative to conventional methods.
• Process parameters significantly influence encapsulation efficiency and liposome characteristics.
• This eco-friendly technique holds promise for various applications requiring controlled liposome formation.