Simultaneous encapsulation of hydrophilic and lipophilic molecules in liposomes of DSPC

This study shows simultaneous incorporation of two hydrophobic molecules and a hydrophilic molecule into distearoylphosphatidylcholine (DSPC) liposomes. Pinocembrin and cholesterol are incorporated in the lipidic membrane while resazurin is encapsulated in the aqueous center. The thermotropic behavior of liposomes as a function of the additives was studied with differential scanning calorimetry and the morphology was observed by SEM. A high percentage of entrapment was found for different concentrations of pinocembrin. Cholesterol does not interfere with the incorporation efficiency of pinocembrin and improves the distribution in the membrane but decreases the dissolution stability of liposomes due to steric hindrance in the bilayer. Encapsulation efficiency of resazurin was close to 50%. This molecule also interacts with the polar heads of the phospholipids. This research offers an alternative formulation by using DSPC liposomes as carrier of molecules with different polarity to evaluate the cytotoxicity of pinocembrin in cancer cell lines.