Characterization and absorption kinetics of a novel multifunctional nanoliposome stabilized by sea cucumber saponins instead of cholesterol

Cholesterol was usually used to stabilize liposome, while there have been controversy on the relationship between dietary cholesterol and health. The present study aimed to prepare a novel multifunctional nanoliposomes stabilized by sea cucumber-derived saponins using ultrasound-assisted film dispersion method. A novel uniform liposome with mass ratio of egg yolk lecithin/sea cucumber saponins at 75:25 was successfully prepared to encapsulate saponin, and the particle size was 164.8 ± 1.70 nm with PDI value of 0.214 ± 0.022 and zeta potential of -15.97 ± 1.23 mV. The digestion and absorption results in vivo showed dietary saponins in liposome form could delay the peak time of saponins and prolong their residence time in serum. Moreover, saponins were more easily converted into their corresponding metabolites after administration with saponins in liposome form. The novel liposome as an efficient carrier with multi-functions had great potential in the development of functional food and biomedical applications.