Encapsulation of Lipophilic Polyphenols into Nanoliposomes Using pH-Driven Method: Advantages and Disadvantages

The poor water solubility and oral bioavailability of many lipophilic polyphenols can be improved through the use of colloidal delivery systems. In this study, a pH-driven method was used to encapsulate curcumin, quercetin, and resveratrol within nanoliposomes. This method is based on the decrease in water-solubility of certain polyphenols when they move from alkaline to acid conditions. However, the chemical stability of some polyphenols is relatively poor under alkaline conditions. For this reason, the impact of pH on the chemical degradation of the three polyphenols was studied. The polyphenols were then encapsulated within nanoliposomes using the pH-driven method and the encapsulation efficiency (EE) and chemical stability were determined. The EE of curcumin, quercetin, and resveratrol in the nanoliposomes was 100, 54, and 93%, respectively. Differences in the EE were mainly attributed to differences in their stability under alkaline conditions. Our results show that the application of this method to other lipophilic polyphenols depends on the impact of pH on their solubility and chemical stability, which needs to be established on a case-by-case basis.