Heat-stable liposomes from milk fat globule membrane phospholipids for pH-triggered delivery of hydrophilic and lipophilic bioactives

Abstract

Heat-stable, multivitamin-loaded, and surface-coated liposomes tailored for pH-triggered delivery of both lipophilic and hydrophilic bioactives were synthesized from a cocktail of milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) phospholipids, supercritically extracted from buttermilk powder. Liposomes from MFGM-phospholipids (ML) were fabricated using a novel organic solvent free process based on venturi-based rapid expansion of a supercritical solution. A commercially available pH-responsive polymer, Eudragit® S100 was used to coat ML (Eu-ML). Eu-MLs were heated to 60, 75, and 90 °C for 30 min and were observed to be heat-stable as established by CLSM images, structural characterizations, and encapsulation efficiency measurements. Coating of liposomes with Eudragit® S100 protected encapsulated payload from deleterious gastric environment and facilitated site-specific pH-triggered release in the simulated intestinal condition. This study established a green method to fabricate heat-stable liposomal vehicles for pH-triggered delivery of bioactive compounds with excellent potential for scale-up and applications in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries.