Preparation of chitosan-modified Moringa A liposomes and its protective effect on acute alcoholic liver injury

Moringa A (MA), the hepatoprotective components of Moringa oleifera Lam. seeds, are metabolized and eliminated quickly in the body. In this study, cholesterol-modified chitosan (CH-CS) was used as a polymer carrier to prepare chitosan-modified MA liposomes (MA-CLs) in order to slow down the release of MA, prolong its circulation time, and improve the oral bioavailability of MA in comparison with common MA liposomes (MA-Ls). The particle size (PS) of MA-CLs was 218.25 ± 1.07 nm, with a polydispersity index (PDI) of 0.143 ± 0.005 and a zeta potential (ZP) of 30.64 ± 0.29 mV. The encapsulation efficiency (EE) was 85.17 ± 1.70%, while the drug loading (DL) was 7.92 ± 0.16%. In contrast, the PS of MA-Ls was 232.06 ± 1.36 nm, with a PDI of 0.215 ± 0.009 and a ZP of -14.21 ± 0.33 mV. The EE and DL of MA-Ls were 71.34 ± 0.60% and 8.39 ± 0.07%, respectively. These results indicated that MA liposomes could effectively mitigate the burst release of MA, thereby enhancing its oral bioavailability. Furthermore, the performance of MA-CLs was superior to that of MA-Ls. ELISA kits demonstrated that, both MA and MA liposomes groups significantly reduced the levels of ach detection index in mice. Specifically, the therapeutic effect followed the order: MA-CLs > MA-Ls > MA, thus exhibiting a concentration-dependent manner. Histopathological analysis of liver sections revealed that MA and its formulations alleviated hepatocyte swelling and necrosis, thereby protecting the liver from alcohol-induced damage. This study found that MA has a protective effect on the liver, while MA-CLs hold promise as a therapeutic agent for prevention of acute alcoholic liver injury (ALI).