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Incorporation of α-tocopherol in marine lipid-based liposomes: in vitro and in vivo studies

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Lipids

Abstract

Liposomes made from a natural marine lipid extract and containing a high polyunsaturated n−3 fatty lipid ratio were envisaged as oral route vectors and a potential α-tocopherol supplement. The behavior of vesicles obtained by simple filtration and of giant vesicles prepared by electroformation was investigated in gastrointestinal-like conditions. The influence of α-tocopherol incorporation into liposomes was studied on both physical and chemical membrane stability. Propanal, as an oxidation product of n−3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, was quantified by static headspace gas chromatography when α-tocopherol incorporation into liposome ratios ranged from 0.01 to 12 mol%. Best oxidative stability was obtained for liposomes that contained 5 mol% α-tocopherol. Compared to the other formulas, propanal formation was reduced, and time of the oxidation induction phase was longer. Moreover, α-tocopherol induced both liposome structural modifications, evidenced by turbidity, and phospholipid chemical hydrolysis, quantified as the amount of lysophospholipids. This physicochemical liposome instability was even more pronounced in acid storage conditions, i.e., α-tocopherol incorporation into liposome membranes accelerated the structural rearrangements and increased the rate of phospholipid hydrolysis. In particular, giant vesicles incubated at pH 1.5 underwent complex irreversible shape transformations including invaginations. In parallel, the absorption rate of α-tocopherol was measured in lymph-cannulated rats when α-tocopherol was administrated, as liposome suspension or added to sardine oil, through a gastrostomy tube. α-Tocopherol recovery in lymph was increased by almost threefold, following liposome administration. This may be related to phospholipids that should favor α-tocopherol solubilization and to liposome instability in the case of a high amount of α-tocopherol in the membranes. A need to correlate results obtained from in vitro liposome behavior with in vivo lipid absorption was demonstrated by this study.

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Abbreviations

DHA:

docosahexaenoic acid

EPA:

eicosapentaenoic acid

GC:

gas chromatography

HPLC:

high-performance liquid chromatography

LPC:

lysophosphatidylcholine

LPE:

lysophosphatidylethanolamine

OD:

optical density

PC:

phosphatidylcholine

PE:

phosphatidylethanolamine

PUFA:

polyunsaturated fatty acid

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CRPP, CNRS, F-33600, Pessac, France

    Philippe Méléard

  2. Unité de Biochimie-Nutrition, ITERG, F-33405, Talence Cedex, France

    Nicole Combe

  3. Nutrition et Signalisation Cellulaire, ISTAB, Avenue des Facultés, F-33405, Talence Cedex, France

    Fabienne Nacka & Maud Cansell

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  1. Fabienne Nacka
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  2. Maud Cansell
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  3. Philippe Méléard
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  4. Nicole Combe
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Correspondence to Maud Cansell.

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Nacka, F., Cansell, M., Méléard, P. et al. Incorporation of α-tocopherol in marine lipid-based liposomes: in vitro and in vivo studies. Lipids 36, 1313–1320 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11745-001-0846-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11745-001-0846-x

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