Influence of different surfactants on the physicochemical properties of elastic liposomes

AbstractElastic liposomes are capable to improve drug transport through the skin by acting as penetration enhancers due to the high fluidity and elasticity of the liposome membranes. Therefore, elastic liposomes were prepared and characterized to facilitate the transdermal transport of bioactive molecules. Liposomes consisted of dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) as the structural component, with different surfactants derived from lauric acid as elastic components: C12E5 (polyoxyethylene-5-lauryl ether), PEG4L (polyethyleneglycol-4-lauryl ester), PEG4DL (polyethylene glycol-4-dilauryl ester), PEG8L (polyethylene glycol-8-lauryl ester) and PEG8DL (polyethylene glycol-8-dilauryl ester). The elastic liposomes were characterized in terms of their phospholipid content, mean diameter, size distribution, elasticity and stability during storage, as well as their ability to incorporate surfactant and permeate through 50 nm pore size membranes. The results showed that the phospholipid phase transition temperatur...