Synthesis of liposomes using α-phosphotidycholine and metabolites obtained from Elephantorrhiza elephantina and Pentanisia prunelloides

Abstract

Plant saponins exhibit numerous pharmacological characteristics desirable for long term hyperlipidemic therapy through their cholesterol binding capacity due to the formation of liposomes/phytosomes which ultimately decreases the gastrointestinal absorption of cholesterol. This may result in the reduction of the blood plasma cholesterol levels; hence, mitigating cardiovascular and atherosclerotic problems that are associated with elevated plasma cholesterol concentrations. In this study, we reported for the first time a potential method of synthesizing phytosomes/liposomes from two medicinal plants Pentanisia prunelloides (Rubiaceae) and Elephantorrhiza elephantina (Fabaceae) saponin extracts and fractions using α-phosphotidycholine and cholesterol. This was done to explore the possibility of cholesterol binding capacity of fractions and extracts of the two medicinal plants as a justification of their application by traditional healers in managing body weight as well as averting hyperlipidemia and atherosclerosis. Spherical nanoparticles/phytosomes/liposomes were clearly identified in the TEM images with particle sizes ranging between tens and hundreds of nanometers. The zeta potential of the nanoparticles fell between -5 and +5 mV indicating that they have a high potential for aggregation; hence, making it relatively very difficult for the complexed cholesterol molecules to permeate the microscopic pores in the alimentary tract.

Keywords: Frontier transmission infra-red (FTIR), liposomes, adjuvants, zeta-potential, α-phosphotidycholine

African Journal of Biotechnology, Vol 13(12), 1402-1412