Liposomal Oil Research Articles

Liposomal Ozonated Oil Ensures a Further Reduction in the Microbial Load Before Intravitreal Injection: the "OPERA" Study.

This was a prospective study to investigate the antimicrobial efficacy of a novel ophthalmic solution comprising ozonated sunflower oil in liposomes plus hypromellose in conjunction with liposomal foam (BlefOX), in patients undergoing intravitreal injection, in comparison to povidone iodine 5%. The study employed a paired-eye design with n = 195 patients and a total of n = 390 eyes divided into two groups. Conjunctival swabs were collected from both eyes of each patient at baseline (T0-3 days before the injection). The study group underwent home therapy, which included instilling two drops of an isotonic ophthalmic solution containing 0.5% ozonated sunflower oil in liposomes plus hypromellose (Ozodrop) four times daily and applying liposomal foam twice daily to the eye undergoing intravitreal injections. In contrast, the control group (contralateral eyes) received treatment with povidone iodine 5%. This treatment regimen was maintained for 3days. At T1 (10min before injection), all patients instilled one drop of a topical solution of povidone iodine 5% into the conjunctival sac of both eyes. After 30seconds had elapsed, a conjunctival swab was obtained for each eye in both study groups. The results, derived from conjunctival swabs, exhibited a significant reduction in the microbial load of the study group on both chocolate agar and blood agar (p ≤ 0.007). The study demonstrated that the combination of povidone iodine 5% + Ozodrop + BlefOX provides a greater reduction in microbial load than povidone iodine 5% alone on both chocolate agar (141 [72.31%] vs. 98 [50.26%], p < 0.0001) and blood agar (130 [66.67%] vs. 97 [49.74%], p = 0.0007). The combination of povidone iodine 5% + Ozodrop + BlefOX resulted in the killing of approximately 41% to 49% of bacteria compared to povidone iodine 5% alone on the chocolate agar and blood agar, respectively. Liposomal ozonated oil treatment, coupled with liposomal foam, in patients undergoing intravitreal injection led to a substantial reduction in conjunctival microbial load compared to eyes treated solely with povidone iodine 5%.

Development and Efficacy Evaluation of Innovative Cosmetic Formulations with Caryocar brasiliense Fruit Pulp Oil Encapsulated in Freeze-Dried Liposomes.

Encapsulation and drying technologies allow the engineering of innovative raw materials from plant biodiversity, with potential applications in pharmaceutical and cosmetic fields. Lipid-based nanoencapsulation stands out for its efficiency, ease of production, and versatility in encapsulating substances, whether hydrophilic or lipophilic. This work aimed at encapsulating pequi oil in liposomes and freeze-dried liposomes to enhance its stability and functional benefits, such as skin hydration and anti-aging effects, for use in innovative cosmetic formulations. Pequi oil-extracted from the Caryocar brasiliense fruit pulp, a plant species from Brazilian plant biodiversity-is rich in secondary metabolites and fatty acids. Liposomes and dried liposomes offer controlled production processes and seamless integration into cosmetic formulations. The physicochemical analysis of the developed liposomes confirmed that the formulations are homogeneous and electrokinetically stable, as evidenced by consistent particle size distribution and zeta potential values, respectively. The gel-type formulations loaded with the dried liposomes exhibit enhanced skin hydration, improved barrier function, and refined microrelief, indicating improvements in skin conditions. These results highlight the potential of dried liposomes containing pequi oil for the development of innovative cosmeceutical products. This research contributes to the valorization of Brazilian biodiversity by presenting an innovative approach to leveraging the dermatological benefits of pequi oil in cosmetic applications.

Nanoencapsulation of Origanum vulgare essential oil into liposomes with anticancer potential.

Origanum vulgare L. essential oil possesses a wide spectrum of biological activities. Nanoencapsulation of O. vulgare essential oil into liposomes seems to be a promising strategy to maintain and improve these biological properties. This research was carried out to develop a suitable liposomal formulation for the effective encapsulation of O. vulgare essential oil in order to improve the antioxidant and cytotoxic activities. The characterization of liposomal nanocarriers was conducted in terms of size, zeta potential, and encapsulation efficiency. An MTT assay was used to assess the cytotoxic activity of the prepared and characterized O. vulgare essential oil liposomes in MCF-7 cancer cell lines. Antioxidant activity was determined by assessing DPPH scavenging activity. O. vulgare essential oil exerted cytotoxic activity with an IC50 of 50 μg/ml. The essential oil of O. vulgare was effectively encapsulated in liposomes, with no significant change observed among the formulations. The antioxidant activity was significantly enhanced after encapsulating the essential oil in liposomes. Origanum vulgare essential-oil-loaded Phospholipon 90H liposomes demonstrated considerably increased cytotoxic activity against MCF-7 cells, whereas Lipoid S100 liposomes showed no significant differences from the non-encapsulated essential oil. Phospholipon 85G liposomes had the least cytotoxic impact. As a result, liposomes containing O. vulgare essential oil may be promising nanocarriers for the development of anticancer agents.

Mouthwash Formulation Co-Delivering Quercetin and Mint Oil in Liposomes Improved with Glycol and Ethanol and Tailored for Protecting and Tackling Oral Cavity.

The aim of this work was the simultaneous loading of quercetin and mint essential oil (mint oil) in phospholipid vesicles specifically tailored to obtain an antibacterial and antioxidant mouthwash. The vesicles were prepared using soy lecithin and Tween 80 as bilayer components, and a mixture of phosphate buffer solution (33%), propylene glycol (33%) and ethanol (33%) as dispersing phase. The formation of regularly shaped, spherical and unilamellar vesicles was confirmed by cryogenic transmission electron microscopy analyses. Similarly, light scattering results disclosed that the size of the vesicles increased by increasing the concentration of mint oil, but at the same time the high amount of mint oil ensured high stability, as the size of these vesicles remained unchanged during 12 months of storage. All tested formulations were highly biocompatible towards epithelial cells and capable of counteracting oxidative cell damages caused by hydrogen peroxide. Moreover, the vesicles prepared with the highest concentration of mint oil inhibited the proliferation of the cariogenic Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) and Lactobacillus acidophilus (L. acidophilus).

Effect of phospholipid/flaxseed oil ratio on characteristics, structure change, and storage stability of liposomes

The flaxseed oil, a rich source of α-linolenic acid, was loaded in liposomes. The vesicle characteristics, encapsulation efficiency, and loading content with different amounts of flaxseed oil addition were investigated. At the ratio of phospholipid to flaxseed oil 5:1, the liposomes displayed an almost spherical shape and a homogeneous size distribution (observed by transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy), with an average particle size 156 nm and an encapsulation efficiency of approximately 85%. The addition of flaxseed oil could change the phospholipid arrangement by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and Raman spectra. The hydrophobicity of membrane surface and the micropolarity of the bilayer interior decreased with the incorporation of flaxseed oil by fluorescence probe analysis. Liposomes showed higher oxidative stability and retention rate during the storage at the ratio of 5:1. In addition, the encapsulation of flaxseed oil in liposomes showed the ability of slower release. It comprehensively illustrated the flaxseed oil could affect the membrane structure of liposomes and provided useful information regarding the preparation of liposomes for hydrophobic compounds.

Antibiofilm and repair activity of ozonated oil in liposome.

SummaryThe use of medical devices, such as contact lenses, represents a substantial risk of infection, as they can act as scaffolds for formation of microbial biofilms. Recently, the increasing emergency of antibiotic resistance has prompted the development of novel and effective antimicrobial drugs for biofilm treatment, such as oxidizing agents. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of Ozodrop® and Ozodrop® gel, commercial names of ozonated oil in liposomes plus hypromellose, on eradication and de novo formation of biofilms on different supports, such as plastic plates and contact lens. Our results demonstrate that ozonated liposomal sunflower oil plus hypromellose have an excellent inhibitory effect on bacterial viability and on both de novo formation and eradication of biofilms produced on plates and contact lens by Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. Moreover, we show that Ozodrop® formulations stimulate expression of antimicrobial peptides and that Ozodrop® gel has a strong repair activity on human epithelial cells, suggesting further applications for the treatment of non‐healing infected wounds.

Formulation of liposomes loading lentisk oil to ameliorate topical delivery, attenuate oxidative stress damage and improve cell migration in scratch assay

Pistacia lentiscus L. is a sclerophyllous shrub capable of growing under harsh climatic conditions especially in the Mediterranean Basin. Different products can be obtained from this plant, such as essential oil, mastic gum or even fixed oil. The last is well known for its flavor which is mainly exploited in the food industry. Additionally, it has been traditionally used in the treatment of skin diseases, but, at the moment, any suitable formulation for skin delivery has been formulated and its biological effects was not deeply confirmed. Given that, in the present study, the lentisk oil has been formulated in liposomes at different concentrations (10, 20, 30 mg/ml) and their physicochemical, technological and main biological properties have been evaluated. Vesicles were prepared by using natural soy lecithin and a green and organic solvent free method, thus obtaining spherical, small (~ 118 nm), homogeneously dispersed (0.27) and highly negatively charged (~ −62 mV) vesicles. The used amount of oil loaded in liposomes (10, 20, 30 mg/ml) modulated the penetration ability of vesicles in the skin, favoring the deposition of the payload in the deeper strata. The loading in the vesicles potentiated the ability of oil to counteract the damaging effects caused by hydrogen peroxide in keratinocytes and fibroblasts and facilitate their migration in a cell monolayer lesion. Overall findings suggested that the incorporation of lentisk oil in liposomes made from soy lecithin can be an alternative and natural approach to exploit it in pharmaceutical ad cosmetical applications and manufacturing natural products suitable for the treatment of skin lesions.

Variations in the Size and ζ-Potential of Phosphatidylcholine Liposomes with Incorporated Nutriceuticals in the Course of their Initiated Oxidation

Phosphatidylcholine (PC) liposomes are widely used as models of living cell biomembranes for studying various biochemical processes proceeding in them, in particular, lipid peroxidation (LPO) and effects of different substances on this process. In this work, dynamic light scattering has been employed to study the dynamics of variations in the sizes and ζ-potentials of soybean PC liposomes during their oxidation at 37°С initiated by 2,2'-azobis(amidinopropane) dihydrochloride. The effects of α-linoleic acid and carnation essential oil incorprated into the liposomes, as well as the encapsulation of the liposomes with sodium caseinate, on these parameters have been investigated. It has been found that the average size of PC liposomes increases by 6–7% in the course of oxidation; however, no correlation between their sizes and accumulation of LPO products has been revealed. By the end of the oxidation, the absolute value of the ζ potential increases by three times. The inclusion of α-linoleic acid into liposomes substantially changes the dynamics of variations in their sizes and ζ potential. The presence of carnation essential oil in liposomes decreases the accumulation of conjugated dienes during the oxidation and stabilizes the sizes and ζ-potentials by the end of oxidation for both original liposomes and liposomes containing α-linoleic acid. Encapsulation of liposomes with sodium caseinate stabilizes the sizes and ζ-potentials of complex structures formed in the course of oxidation.

The Role of Ozone Carried by Liposomes in the Therapy of Infectious and Skin-Regenerating Ocular Surface

Effect of the ozonated oil in liposomes: they act against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa is among the most frequent eye pathogens and causes acute and chronic infections of the ocular surface. Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were tested in this study. The bacterial suspension of Staphylococcus aureus was diluted to obtain 150 CFU/ml. The bacterial suspension of Pseudomonas aeruginosa was diluted to obtain 15 CFU/ml. Various volumes of liposome-vehiculated ozonated oil were added (400 μl, 200 μl, 100 μl and 50 μl) to 100 μl of bacterial suspension; both of Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa are incubated at 37˚C for 10 minutes. The cytotoxicity of liposome-vehiculated ozonated oil was analysed at the University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Department of Precision Medicine. The HaCaT epidermal keratinocyte cell line (ATCC, USA) was grown in Dulbecco’s Modified Eagle Medium (Euroclone) with the addition of 10% foetal bovine serum (FBS) (Euroclone), 2 mM of L-glutamine (Euroclone) and antibiotics (100 U/ml penicillin, 100 g/ml streptomycin) (Euroclone). The microbiological results clearly show the antimicrobial efficacy of liposome-vehiculated ozonated oil against bacterial strains such as Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Furthermore, the studies carried out in vitro on the keratinocyte line showed how ozonated oil in liposomes does not evidence any cell toxicity, and that after 3 days of treatment, it promotes cell growth compared to the positive control.

Protective effects of tilapia fish oil and liposomes on ischemia reperfusion injury of rat liver

The effects of tilapia fish oil and liposomes containing fish oil on hepatic ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury of rats were investigated. The activities of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, gamma glutamyl transferase and lactate dehydrogenase, and the levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-6, and interleukin-10 in serum of rats were determined. In addition, the malondialdehyde contents, superoxide dismutase activities, nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-кB) activation and the apoptosis in hepatic tissue of rats were estimated. The results showed that the administration of tilapia fish oil and liposomes could reduce the hepatocellular damage, neutrophil infiltration and oxidative stress, decrease inflammatory cytokines, increase antiinflammatory cytokine, and attenuate NF-кB activation of hepatic I/R injury rats. Overall, the tilapia fish oil and liposomes exerted antiinflammatory and antioxidant effects on ischemic liver, thereby protecting hepatocytes against I/R injury. Practical applications Fish oil has many dietary benefits, but due to its strong odors and rapid deterioration, its application in food formulations is limited. The encapsulation of fish oil in liposomes is a good choice for reduction of fish odor smell and improvement of oxidative stability. The present study investigated the protective effects of tilapia fish oil and liposomes on hepatic I/R injury of rat. The results showed that both the free tilapia fish oil and its liposomes had antiinflammatory and antioxidant effects on the experimental rats. Therefore, liposomes containing tilapia fish oil should be considered as a prospective functional food and pharmaceuticals application.

Distribution of Melaleuca alternifolia essential oil in liposomes with Tween 80 addition and enhancement of in vitro antimicrobial effect

Tea tree oil (TTO) exhibits excellent broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity. In order to preserve it from the degradation in the presence of oxygen, light and temperature, TTO was encapsulated in liposomes (LTTOs) using the thin-membrane hydration and sonication method, and characterised by Zetasizer for size and size distribution, transmission electron microscope for morphology, zeta-potential for surface charge, entrapment efficiency and TTO release from the nanoparticles. The antimicrobial activities of phosphate-buffered saline solution containing TTO, unloaded liposomes and LTTOs suspension were determined by twofold serial broth dilution technique. The size of LTTOs was 75 nm and the encapsulation efficiency of 96.08% was obtained. LTTOs exhibited slow release of TTO and superior broad-spectrum antimicrobial effects compared with free TTO. Liposomes not only effectively encapsulated TTO to form a stable liposome suspension, but also enhanced inhibition and bactericidal effect on the TTO-tolerant strain. The liposomal systems carrying TTO may be a potential alternative for effective antimicrobial agents.

Liposomal Incorporation of Lavandin Essential Oil by a Thin-Film Hydration Method and by Particles from Gas-Saturated Solutions

Lavandin (Lavandula hybrida) essential oil contains components with biocide and antiviral properties that can be used as substitutes for synthetic drugs in livestock. This application requires an appropriate formulation of the essential oil. Liposomes are promising drug carriers, because they can enhance the skin penetration of drugs, deliver the entrapped drugs across cell membranes, and improve essential oil stability and bioavailability. In this work, the incorporation of lavandin essential oil in liposomes produced with commercially available lecithins and cholesterol has been studied. Two different liposome production methods have been tested: a modification of the Bangham thin-film method and the particles from gas-saturated solutions (PGSS) drying process. Liposomes obtained with the thin-film method were multivesicular or unilamellar/multilamellar with a mean diameter of 0.4−1.3 μm and an efficiency of incorporation of essential oil of up to 66%. The liposomes were stable for at least 1 month. On the other hand, by application of the PGSS process, dry and fine but aggregated soy lecithin particles were produced, with a particle size in the range 1.4−24.8 μm and a poor efficiency of incorporation of essential oil ranging from 3% to 14.5%. These particles could be dispersed in water, producing liposomes whose size ranged between 0.5 and 1.5 μm

LIPOSOME-INCORPORATED SANTOLINA INSULARIS ESSENTIAL OIL: PREPARATION, CHARACTERIZATION AND IN VITRO ANTIVIRAL ACTIVITY

The effect of liposomal inclusion on the stability and in vitro antiherpetic activity of Santolina insularis essential oil was investigated. In order to study the influence of vesicle structure on the liposome properties, multilamellar and unilamellar vesicles were prepared by the film method and sonication, respectively. Vesicles were obtained from hydrogenated soya phosphatydilcholine and cholesterol. Formulations were examined for their stability for over one year monitoring the drug leakage from vesicles and the average size distribution. The stability of the incorporated oil was verified by studying its quali-quantitative composition. The antiviral activity was studied against Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) by plaque reduction and yield reduction assays. Results showed that Santolina insularis essential oil can be incorporated in high amounts in the prepared liposomes, which successfully prevented its degradation. Moreover, stability studies pointed out that vesicle dispersions were stable for at least one year and neither oil leakage nor vesicle size alteration occurred during this period. Antiviral activity assays demonstrated that Santolina insularis essential oil is effective in inactivating HSV-1 and that the activity is principally due to direct virucidal effects. Free essential oil proved to be more effective than liposomal oil and a different activity was discovered which related to the vesicular structure. The ED50 values, significantly lower when cells were pre-incubated with the essential oil before the virus adsorption, indicate an intracellular mechanism in the antiviral activity of Santolina insularis. Moreover, liposomal Santolina essential oil is non toxic in the range of the concentration tested.