Advanced Drug Delivery 2 - liposomes Flashcards
What are liposomes and their size
- Microparticulate or colloidal drug carriers
- Vesicular structures composed of one or more lipid bilayers encapsulating a central aqueous core
- The lipid molecules are normally phospholipids
- Size: 0.05 – 5 µm
Chemical structure of phospholipids
Contains
- 2 hydrophobic tails of fatty acid
- 1 hydrophilic head of phosphate moiety joined together by an alcohol or glycerol molecule
- This structural arrangement allows them to form lipid bilayers
Characteristics of fatty acids
- fatty = lipophilic
- acid = COOH carboxylic group
What charge is phosphate
Negative
Phosphatidylcholine (PC) derivatives
- Phosphate group is -
- PC is +
- So overall neutral
Phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) derivatives
- Phosphate group is -
- PE is +
- So overall neutral
Phosphatidylserine (PS) derivatives
- Phosphate group is -
- PS has one + and one -
- So overall negative
Phosphatidylglycerol (PG) derivatives
- Phosphate group is -
- PG is -
- So overall negative
Discuss cholesterol in the context of liposomes
- Component that is normally added to liposomes
- Cholesterol is largely hydrophobic
- But presence of OH group confers some hydrophilicity = amphiphilic molecule
- This allows cholesterol to insert itself in the bilayer with the hydrophilic part (OH group) close to polar head and hydrophobic part next to lipophilic chains
The presence of OH group and the properties of liposomes
- The OH groups can form hydrogen bonds with other molecules in the liposome membrane which can increase its stability and rigidity.
- Can impact the solubility and permeability of the liposome
What is the main transition temperature, TM
Phospholipid membranes have a parameter called TM
Below the TM:
- cholesterol has a fluidising, disorganising action
- phospholipids bilayer is less fluid, more gel like
Above TM:
- cholesterol has a condensing action
- a lot of energy in system
- bilayer very fluid
Conformation of a lisaphospholipid
- e.g. detergents
- Geometry: like a cone
- Therefore most thermodynamically stable conformation is a micelle
Conformation of double chain phospholipids with LARGE head groups
- e.g. PC
- Large polar head and smaller tails that occupy smaller volume
- Geometry: like truncated cone
- Therefore, most thermodynamically stable conformation is bilayer vesicle
Conformation of double chain phospholipid with SMALL head groups
- e.g. PE
- Geometry: like a cyclinder
- Therefore, most thermodynamically stable conformation is planar bilayer
Conformation of phospholipid with two chains and unsaturation
- e.g. Phosphatidylethanol amine (unsaturated)
- Double bonds = tails spreads wider
- Geometry: Inverted truncated cone
- Therefore, most thermodynamically stable conformation is inverted micelle