Comparison of hydrophobic and hydrophilic encapsulation using liposomes prepared from milk fat globule-derived phospholipids and soya phospholipids

Liposomes prepared from a milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) phospholipid fraction have been shown to have significantly different physical and chemical characteristics and appeared to be more stable in a variety of conditions than liposomes prepared from soya phospholipid material. These liposome systems were used to try to encapsulate model hydrophobic (β-carotene) and hydrophilic (potassium chromate) compounds. Liposomes produced from the MFGM-derived phospholipids showed significantly higher entrapment efficiencies for both β-carotene and potassium chromate. The differences were particularly apparent when using the hydrophobic molecules at low ratios of β-carotene to phospholipid. It is likely that the improved incorporation efficiency for β-carotene is due to the partitioning of the molecule between the aqueous phase and the phospholipid membrane, a property which will be dependent on the specific composition of the phospholipid material used. The higher encapsulation efficiency for the potassium chromate appeared to reflect the slightly larger diameter of the liposomes produced from the MFGM material. These results suggest that there may be inherent advantages in the use of liposomes prepared from MFGM-derived phospholipids via microfluidization for the encapsulation of both hydrophobic and hydrophilic compounds.