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Triglycerides Stabilize Water/Organic Interfaces of Changing Area via Conformational Flexibility
Thomas C Kinard1,2, Steven P Wrenn1,2
1Department of Chemical Engineering, Virginia Tech, 635 Prices Fork Road, Blacksburg, Virginia 24060, United States.
Langmuir : the ACS Journal of Surfaces and Colloids
|January 29, 2024
Summary
Triglycerides stabilize liposomal encapsulation by coating interfaces during emulsification. Their conformation changes, impacting membrane fluidization and encapsulation efficiency, are key for drug delivery systems.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Colloidal Science
- Membrane Biophysics
Background:
- Triglycerides (TGs) are crucial in natural and synthetic membranes.
- Their role in metabolism, disease, and colloidal synthesis is extensively studied.
- TGs are vital for successful liposomal encapsulation using double emulsions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To elucidate the mechanism of TG involvement in liposomal encapsulation.
- To understand TG conformational changes and their impact on membrane properties.
- To explore the potential applications of TGs in drug delivery systems.
Main Methods:
- Water/oil/water double emulsion technique for liposomal encapsulation.
- Carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance (13C-NMR) spectroscopy to determine TG backbone hydration and conformation.
- Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) for visualizing lipid droplets (LDs).
- Centrifugation for separating LDs.
Main Results:
- TGs transition between water/organic interface ('m') and hydrophobic ('h') conformations during solvent evaporation.
- A novel transitional TG conformation was identified.
- TG conformation changes stabilize interfaces during emulsification and influence membrane fluidization.
- Encapsulation efficiency is inversely related to TG acyl chain saturation and length.
- Lipid droplets (LDs) containing TGs were observed and removed.
Conclusions:
- TGs play a critical role in stabilizing interfaces during liposomal encapsulation.
- TG conformational dynamics are essential for membrane fluidity and encapsulation efficiency.
- These findings have implications for developing advanced drug delivery systems and understanding biological membrane transitions.
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