Plant Polyphenols Induced the Polymorphic Phase Transition of Membrane Lipids

Abstract

Flavonoids are called “natural modifiers of biological reaction” due to their ability to change the response of the human body to allergens, viruses and oncogens. This is evidenced by their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antiparasitic and antibacterial properties. However, its use is limited by low relatively bioavailability. At the present time, the most perspective way to increase the bioavailability of polyphenols is used the complexes of modifiers with lipid vesicles. We had found that flavonoids (phloretin, butein, 4'-hydroxychalcone, naringenin, quercetin, myricetin, biochanin A, genistein, cardamonin, licochalcone A, liquiritigenin) are able to induce a polymorphic phase transition of DOPC. Large unilamellar liposomes were prepared by extrusion methods. The lipid:polyphenol ration was equal to 3:1, 1:1, and 1:3. Visualization of the polyphenol-induced non-bilayer lipid structures enriched with polyphenols were processed by laser scanning confocal microscope, Olympus FV3000. Phloretin, cardamonin, biochanin A, genistein, quercetin and myricetin caused the appearance of needle-shaped spherical non-bilayer structures, while the addition of butein and naringenin in the liposomal suspension leads to the appearance of rod-like structures. The morphology of non-bilayer structures induced by polyphenols does not depend on the ratio of lipid:polyphenol. The addition of 4'-hydroxychalcone, liquiritigenin and licochalcone A to the liposome suspension did not induced a polymorphic phase transition of lipids. Our results indicated a dependence of the polyphenol ability to induce the formation of non-bilayer structures on the number of OH groups in the molecule. It is proposed to apply the methods of electron microscopy and small-angle X-ray scattering to study the thin structure of the polyphenol-induced non-bilayer lipid structures. The study was supported in part by RFS (#17-74-10137).