A liberação controlada de fármacos é um tópico importante para várias iniciativas em nanotecnologia devido ao possível impacto para a sociedade, com a criação de sistemas otimizados que garantam a liberação num sítio específico e a uma taxa controlada. Dentre os vários paradigmas de liberação controlada destaca-se o uso de lipossomos, uma vez que muitos fármacos e drogas podem ser transportados. Este trabalho descreve a fabricação de filmes automontados de lipossomos que incorporam o fármaco ibuprofeno. Os lipossomos foram preparados de dipalmitoil fosfatidil colina (DPPC), dipalmitoil fosfatidil glicerol (DPPG) e palmitoil-oleoil fosfatidil glicerol (POPG), cujas camadas foram alternadas por interações eletrostáticas com camadas do dendrímero PAMAM geração 4. Medidas de espalhamento dinâmico de luz indicaram que a incorporação do ibuprofeno tornou os lipossomos de DPPC e DPPG mais estáveis, com uma diminuição no diâmetro médio de 140 para 74 nm e 132 para 63nm, respectivamente. Ao contrário, os lipossomos de POPG ficaram menos estáveis, com aumento do diâmetro de 110 para 160 nm. A influência na estabilidade foi confirmada em medidas de microscopia de força atômica nos filmes automontados, que mostraram grande tendência à ruptura nos lipossomos de POPG com a incorporação de ibuprofeno. O crescimento dos filmes automontados foi investigado com espectroscopia de fluorescência e uma balança de cristal de quartzo. A intensidade da fluorescência devida ao ibuprofeno aumentou exponencialmente com o número de camadas depositadas, mas não por causa de uma crescente adsorção de ibuprofeno. Ao contrário, a quantidade de material adsorvido nas primeiras camadas aumentou inicialmente, mas depois diminuiu drasticamente após a 6ª. bicamada, e o filme praticamente pára de crescer a partir da 10ª. bicamada. Portanto, a grande fluorescência para filmes espessos deve ser associada a um ambiente favorável, que aumenta a emissão quântica do ibuprofeno. A liberação do ibuprofeno, estudada com medidas de fluorescência, é mais lenta quando incorporado em lipossomos. Em experimentos com uma membrana de diálise, notamos que o tempo de decaimento do ibuprofeno puro é 5,2 h, enquanto este tempo aumentou para 9,2 e 8 h para ibuprofeno encapsulado em lipossomos de DPPG e POPG, respectivamente. O ibuprofeno também foi liberado de filmes automontados contendo lipossomos de DPPG e POPG, o que é promissor para o uso em bandagens (patches). / Controlled drug delivery is a key issue in a number of nanotechnology endeavors owing to the large impact on society that may achieved if improved systems are created which allows for delivery at a specific target and with a controlled rate. Among the various paradigms employed in drug delivery, the use of liposomes is prominent because a variety of drug molecules can be carried. This work describes the fabrication of layer-by-layer (LbL) films made with liposomes incorporating ibuprofen. The liposomes were made with dipalmitoyl phosphatidyl choline (DPPC), dipalmitoyl phosphatidyl glycerol (DPPG) and palmitoyl-oleoyl-phosphatidyl glycerol (POPG), whose layers were alternated with layers of the dendrimer PAMAM generation 4 via electrostatic interactions. According to dynamic light scattering measurements, the incorporation of ibuprofen caused DPPC and DPPG liposomes to become more stable, with a decrease in diameter from 140 to 74 nm and from 132 to 63 nm, respectively. In contrast, liposomes from POPG became less stable, with an increase in size from 110 to 160 nm. These results were confirmed with atomic force microscopy images of LbL films, which showed a large tendency to rupture for POPG liposomes. The film growth was monitored with fluorescence spectroscopy and a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM). The fluorescence intensity arising from ibuprofen increased exponentially with the number of layers, but this was not caused by an increased adsorption of ibuprofen. Instead, the QCM measurements showed that the amount of material adsorbed increases initially with the number of PAMAM/liposome(ibuprofen) layers, but after the 6th bilayer it decreases sharply and film growth practically stops after the 10th layer. Therefore, the inevitable conclusion is that the increased fluorescence is due to a favorable environment for the ibuprofen, whose quantum emission efficiency increases with the number of layers deposited. Also using fluorescence measurements, we noted that release of ibuprofen was delayed when incorporated in liposomes. For instance, in a membrane dialysis experiment, the characteristic decay time was 3.5 h for ibuprofen in solution, whereas this time increased to 9.2 and 8 h for ibuprofen encapsulated into DPPG and POPG liposomes, respectively. Ibuprofen could also be released from the LbL films made with DPPG and POPG liposomes, which is promising for further use in patches.

Os líquidos iônicos, por geralmente apresentar, em sua estrutura, uma cadeia alquílica apolar e uma parte polar, como o cátion imidazólio, podem ser considerados estruturas anfifílicas, e apresentam semelhanças com os tensoativos. Tais estruturas, devido a este caráter anfifílico, podem interagir com estruturas do tipo Lipossomas ou até mesmo com biomoléculas, como a BSA. Neste trabalho, foram sintetizados três líquidos iônicos inéditos, com rendimentos de 52 a 66%, acoplados a sistemas quirais derivados de aminoácidos naturais e de fácil obtenção, como a L-Cisteína, a L-Serina e a L-Treonina. Estes foram caracterizados tanto do ponto de vista estrutural, quanto por suas propriedades fotofísicas. Como procedimento metodológico utilizou-se de ciclocondensação de aminoácidos, esterificação de Steglich e alquilação para inserção de cadeia carbônica ao anel metil-imidazol. Para investigação e confirmação dessas estruturas utilizou-se de estudos de Ressonância Magnética de 1H e de 13C, Infravermelho, além das espectroscopias de absorção na região do UV-Vis e de emissão de fluorescência. Por fim, estes novos líquidos iônicos foram testados com lipossomas e BSA, cujos resultados mostraram boa interação com essas biomoléculas. / Ionic liquids can be considered as amphiphilic structures and have similarities with the surfactants, once they generally have an apolar alkyl chain and a polar moiety, such as the imidazolium cation. Such structures, due to this amphiphilic character, may interact with liposome structures or even with biomolecules, such as BSA. In this work, three new ionic liquids containing chiral systems derived from naturally occurring amino acids, such as L-Cysteine, L-Serine and L-Threonine were synthesized, with yields ranging from 52 to 66%. They were fully characterized both from the structural point of view, and by its photophysical properties. As methodological procedures, amino acid cyclocondensation, Steglich esterification and alkylation were used. In order to investigate and confirm these structures, magnetic resonance studies of 1H and 13C, infrared, as well as absorption spectroscopies in the UV-Vis region and fluorescence emission were used. At last, these new ionic liquids were tested with liposomes and BSA, and the results showed good interaction with these biomolecules.

Living cells are highly complex, making it an extremely challenging task to understand how they function. A possible solution is the bottom-up assembly of non-living components and building up life-like features from scratch, i.e., using synthetic cells as a tool to understand the basic characteristics of life. One such chassis for synthetic cells are liposomes, which, like the cell membrane of living cells, are made of phospholipids. As living cells grow, lipids are incorporated into their membrane in order to cope up with the volume increase of the cell. In a similar fashion, a variety of ways are currently being investigated to achieve growth of synthetic cells. Few examples include incorporation of fatty acids from the surrounding environment, reconstituting the enzymes for fatty acid or lipid biosynthesis in the liposome, or by carrying out the synthesis of artificial membrane components through the external addition of precursor molecules. Here, we demonstrate the membrane-tension mediated growth of giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) by fusing sub-micrometre-sized feeder vesicles to them. We use a recently developed microfluidic technique, octanol-assisted liposome assembly (OLA), to produce cell-sized (~10 μm) GUVs on-chip. Following the density-based separation of the liposomes from the waste product (1-octanol droplets), we supply small unilamellar vesicles (SUVs, ~30 nm in diameter) which act as a lipid reserve for growth by fusing with the GUVs. The lipids molecules, being very stable in bilayer conformation, require energy to reorient themselves and undergo membrane fusion. We show that increased membrane tension of GUVs can act as a sole driver to carry out multiple fusion events and cause significant growth. By placing a mass population (>1000) of GUVs in a sufficiently hypotonic solution (delta c 3−5 mM), we build up the membrane tension (~10 mN/m) driving multiple SUV-GUV fusionevents, eventually doubling the volume of a part of the population. We probe a variety of lipid compositions, including hybrid (composed of lipids and fatty acids) GUVs and find the growth to be dependent on the lipid composition. Maximum growth is obtained when using a hybrid system, as compared to pure lipids. Our results show the possibility to use a protein-freeminimal system to induce growth in a minimalistic manner and the demonstrated highthroughput microfluidic approach may have useful implications towards realizing an autonomous entity capable of undergoing a continuous growth-division cycle.

Peptídeos antimicrobianos (PAMs) fazem parte do sistema de defesa de muitas plantas e animais, e apresentam potente ação contra micro-organismos parasitas e patógenos, sem causar danos às células do organismo hospedeiro. A seletividade dos peptídeos antimicrobianos por tais micro-organismos ocorre por diversos fatores, dentre eles a composição lipídica diferenciada de organismos procariotos e eucariotos. A camada externa da membrana celular de animais procariotos é composta, em parte, por lipídios negativos, diferindo da camada externa de organismos eucariotos, neutra. Logo, os peptídeos antimicrobianos, catiônicos, apresentam seletiva atração pela membrana de animais procariotos, como bactérias e fungos, devido à interação eletrostática. Deste modo, a interação do peptídeo com a membrana de organismos procariotos e eucariotos ocorre de modo diferenciado, levando a diferentes mecanismos de ação e efeitos. Para melhor compreensão da atividade de peptídeos antimicrobianos, este trabalho apresenta um estudo da interação do peptídeo antimicrobiano KHya1 com membranas modelo, que são sistemas miméticos de membranas celulares formados por lipossomos de composição lipídica controlada. O peptídeo KHya1 apresenta sequência (Ile - Phe - Gly - Ala - Ile - Leu - Phe - Leu - Ala - Leu - Gly - Ala - Leu - Lys - Ans - Leu - Ile - Lys - NH2) com 4 cargas positivas. Sua sequência primária provém de uma modificação com relação à sequência do peptídeo Hylina1, originalmente encontrado na secreção da pele do sapo, Hipsiboas albopunctatus. Ambos os peptídeos apresentam comprovada ação anti- bacteriana e anti- fúngica. Neste trabalho, a interação do peptídeo KHya1 com membranas modelo de composição lipídica neutra (DPPC, dipalmitoil fosfatidil colina), aniônica (DPPG, dipalmitoil fosfatidil glicerol) e mista (DPPC:DPPG, 1:1) foi estudada por meio de diversas técnicas experimentais: calorimetria diferencial de varredura (DSC), fluorescência estática e temporal, utilizando a sonda natural do peptídeo (Trp, Triptofano) e sonda extrínseca de bicamada (Laurdan), experimentos de vazamento de sonda fluorescente encapsulada, espalhamento de luz dinâmico (DLS), microscopia óptica, ressonância paramagnética eletrônica (ESR) e espalhamento de raios-X a baixo ângulo (SAXS). Esses estudos reportam que o peptídeo antimicrobiano KHya1 pode apresentar diferentes mecanismos em membranas neutras e aniônicas/ mistas, que estão relacionados a diferentes posições do peptídeo na bicamada, levando a modificações estruturais distintas nas membranas, dependendo de sua composição lipídica. Os resultados sugerem que o peptídeo KHya1 interage preferencialmente com a superfície da membrana neutra, causando uma perturbação média nos lipídios. Também foi observado neste caso, maior partição do peptídeo em solução aquosa, comparada à partição observada em dispersões lipídicas aniônicas. Por outro lado, o peptídeo KHya1 pode estar ancorado transversamente em membranas compostas por lipídios negativos. Resultados de SAXS sugerem que o peptídeo causa estreitamento da espessura da bicamada, tanto na fase gel quanto na fase fluida. Para os sistemas modelo compostos pela mistura de lipídios, foi observado que o peptídeo interage preferencialmente com os lipídios aniônicos, e as perturbações que o peptídeo causa em DPPC:DPPG são maiores do que as observadas para os sistemas neutro e aniônico. Esse efeito pode ser consequência da maior razão molar peptídeo-PG em vesiculas mistas, e/ou o peptídeo pode causar defeitos entres lipídios neutros e aniônicos, modificando a permeabilidade da membrana. Embora também seja observado vazamento em vesículas neutras, a microscopia óptica e medidas de vazamento de sonda fluorescente encapsulada mostraram diferentes mecanismos de vazamento de membranas neutras e aniônicas. Para altas concentrações de peptídeo grandes poros são formados levando ao colapso de vesículas compostas por lipídios aniônicos. Os diferentes efeitos do peptídeo antimicrobiano KHya1 em membranas neutra e aniônica, aqui observados, podem ter relevante importância para entender a ação eficaz de peptídeos antimicrobianos contra organismos procariotos, como bactérias e fungos, e ação reduzida em células eucariotas. / Antimicrobial peptides are part of the innate defense immunity system of several plants and animals. In general, they exhibit strong activity against pathogen microorganisms, without affecting the host cells. The antimicrobial peptides selectivity against specific target pathogens is due to several factors, including the different lipid composition of prokaryotic and eukaryotic membranes: for instance, they can be distinguished by the presence or absence of negatively charged lipids at the cell surface, respectively. Therefore, the electrostatic interaction between cationic antimicrobial peptides and anionic membranes can play an important role in the selectivity and activity of these peptides. Here, we present a study of the antimicrobial peptide KHya1 with model membranes: liposomes prepared with controlled lipid composition that mimic the membrane outer leaflet of bacterial and eukaryotic cells. Peptide KHya1 (Ile - Phe - Gly - Ala - Ile - Leu - Phew - Leu - Ala - Leu - Gly - Ala - Leu - Lys - Ans - Leu - Ile - Lys - NH2) has a net charge of +4. KHya1 primary sequence originates from a modification of the sequence of Hylina1, a peptide isolated from the secretion of the skin of the frog Hipsiboas albopunctatus. Both peptides are known to exhibit effective action against bacteria and fungi. The interaction of peptide KHya1 with model membranes composed by neutral (DPPC, dipalmitoyl phosphatidyl choline), anionic (DPPG, dipalmitoyl phosphatidyl glycerol) and a mixture of both lipids (DPPC:DPPG, 1:1) was studied by the use of several different experimental techniques: differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), static and time-resolved fluorescence, using the peptide natural probe (Trp, Tryptophan) and an extrinsic bilayer probe (Laurdan), experiments of leakage of an entrapped fluorescent dye, dynamical light scattering (DLS), optical microscopy, electron spin resonance (ESR) and small-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS). The peptide KHya1 was found to interact differently with neutral and anionic membranes, located at different positions in the bilayer, and causing distinct membrane structural modifications. KHya1 preferentially interacts at the surface of neutral membranes, causing an average perturbation in the lipids. With DPPC, we also observed a larger partition of the peptide in aqueous solution, compared to the peptide aqueous partition in anionic lipid dispersions. In membranes composed of negatively charged lipids, the peptide KHya1 seems to be strongly anchored in a transmembrane position. SAXS results suggest that the peptide insertion causes membrane thinning, in both gel and fluid phases. For model systems composed by the mixture of neutral and anionic lipids, we observed that the peptide preferentially interacts with anionic lipids, and the changes the peptide causes in DPPC:DPPG vesicles are larger than those observed with pure anionic systems. This effect may be due to the larger peptide/PG molar ratio in DPPC:DPPG vesicles, and/or to lipid segregation caused by the peptide, and the consequent structural defects at the borders of neutral and anionic domains. Although KHya1 increases the permeability of neutral bilayers, optical microscopy and experiments of leakage of entrapped fluorescent dyes showed different mechanism of leakage for neutral and negatively charged bilayers. For high peptide concentrations, large pores are formed in anionic vesicles, leading to vesicle collapse. The new insights shown here about the different structural modifications caused by the antimicrobial peptide KHya1 in neutral and anionic vesicles can possibly explain the efficient action of this peptide against bacteria and its reduced effect in eukaryotic cells.

No description available.

Content: The wastewater after the fatliquoring process contains the surfactants, neutral salts and unspent or unbound oil. This is predominantly attributed to the manner in which fatliquors are prepared. The oil in water emulsions (fatliquors) are prepared through chemical modification of oils along with surface active agents that would enhance the dispersion of oil in water. The discharged chemical compounds from the post tanning process are likely to exist as persistent organics in the soil. In this paper, an ambitious effort to take forward the successful lessons from other sectors such as healthcare is presented. The use of liposomes as oil carriers has been envisaged. For this, the lacunae associated with liposomal carriers such as stability, encapsulation efficiency, the release of payload under desired conditions etc. has been addressed. The study focuses on stabilizing the liposomes and the triggered delivery under the drum pH conditions. A liposomes -biopolymer composite based on Egg Phosphatidyl Choline and Pectin encapsulating oil, has been prepared. Using spectroscopic and colorimetric techniques the presence of biopolymer in the composite, encapsulation of oil and stability over a range of pH conditions has been investigated. The biopolymer influences the stability and oil encapsulation efficiency of the composite in a concentration-dependent manner. To understand the release of oil in a pH dependent manner, the oil was substituted with a model dye and its release under a narrow pH span was observed, indicating that the oil could be released to fibers by modulating the pH. I nitial studies relating to the potential of this product as a possible fatliquor is encouraging. Take-Away: A stabilized liposomal systems encapsulating oil as a delivery vehicle to deliver its contents under the triggered pH conditions is described. Biopolymer, induced stability and ensures the oil encapsulation in the bilayer region for the composite vesicles. The work initiates a step towards developing fatliquors based on biodegradable materials, avoiding the emulsifiers and conventional route to make oil in water emulsions.

The presented diploma thesis is focused on the study of composition and biological effects of some super-foods. Theoretical part deals with basic information about chosen superfoods and their bioactive substances. Further, theoretical part describes the overview of vesicular systems used for encapsulation and the most common methods of particle characterization. A brief review of cell cultures and cultivation of human cells is presented as well as methods for cytotoxicity a genotoxicity testing. In the experimental section, aqueous and ethanol extracts of super-foods were prepared. These extracts were then encapsulated into liposomal and combined PHB particles. Super-food extracts were characterized by spectrophotometrical methods in order to determine the content of polyphenols, flavonoids, anthocyanins, carotenes, chlorophyll, tannins, and antioxidant activity. The physico-chemical characteristics of prepared liposomal and combined particles were determined too. The particles with encapsulated extracts were further tested using the MTT assay and SOS chromotest to describe their potential cytotoxic and genotoxic effects.

The Diploma thesis is focused on encapsulation of bioactive compounds which are contained in selected superfoods for the purpose of application to childrens nutrition supplements. In view of the nature of selected samples, which are seaweed, walnuts, hemp seed and flax seed, the emphasis is put on the content of omega-3 and omega-6 acids. The theoretical part introduces topic of children food, further it describes the nature of selected superfoods and last but not least it contains screening of available childrens food supplements containing omega-3 fatty acids on the market. In the experimental part, an optimization of the appropriate type of extract was made. A 24 hour aqueous macerate and 20% ethanol macerate were selected for next analyzes. Samples were characterized by content of polyphenols, flavonoids and the antioxidant activity and they were used to forming of extracts were encapsulated into liposomes for which their encapsulation efficiency, stability and long-term stability have been tested. Hexan extracts were also prepared for the same reasons. It was found that liposomes of selected superfoods should not be stored for 12 weeks. The samples were used analyzed for the carbohydrate content by the duboise method, a protein content by the Kjeldahl method and the determination of the fatty acid profile by gas chromatography. Furthermore, the content of carotenoids and chlorophylls in algae samples was determined by spectrophotometry and this analysis was verified by high-performance liquid chromatography. The technique of high-performance liquid chromatography was also used to verified a content of polyphenols in the algae samples. Finally, a sensory analysis of prepared alginate supplements containing algae and cold-pressed oils was performer in combinations to achieve a higher omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acid content. The F01-labeled sample containing wakame algae was evaluated as the best one.

This thesis summarizes knowledge about mycotoxins, with focus to ochratoxin A. It also summarizes its tolerable levels of food intake, detoxification and analytical methods for mycotoxins. The work also includes a chapter describing liposomes that were used for the analysis of ochratoxin A by liposomal electrokinetic capillary electrophoresis (LECK). The practical part includes the analysis of ochratoxin A from Aspergillus ochraceus Wilhelm and Aspergillus melleus Yukawa fungi cultivated on a rye and optimization of the method for analysis of ochratoxin A based on liposomes of different compositions. By capillary zone electrophoresis, ochratoxin A is not sufficiently separated and detected in the extracted mixture; conversely, when liposome solutions are used, different migration behavior can be achieved while stabilizing ochratoxin A in solution due to amphiphilic interactions between mycotoxins and liposomes. Therefore, the LEKC method was used for this work. The most suitable liposome composition has been shown to be molar ratios of 25% cholesterol (membrane stabilization) / 50% 2-oleoyl-1-palmitoyl-sn-glycerol 3-phosphocholine (main zwitterionic lipid) / (25% 1,2-diacyl-sn-glycerol)-3-phospho-L-serine (introduction of negative charge).

Acid-sensitive liposome has drawn much interest as drug and gene carriers that release payloads specifically at the low-pH target sites, such as in solid tumors, tissues with inflammation, and ischemia sites. Also, it helps drug/gene to escape endosome trapping and followed lysosome degradation. The goal of this thesis research is to develop novel trans-2-aminocyclohexanols based lipids and their liposome that can be switched by mildly acidic pH. NMR study · show that in certain acidic medium, the amine group on cyclohexane will attract proton and form hydrogen bond with the neighboring -OH. This change will force the bonds switch to from equatorial conformation to axial conformation. This conformational change is transmitted by the structure of the molecular, and induces consequently dramatic conformational change of the two long lipid tails. Fluorescence leakage assay was conducted on liposomes that encapsulated with ANTs/DPX fluorescence dyes. For certain special designed cyclohexane compounds, the pH triggered lipid conformation change will rupture liposome membrane, release the encapsulated content, and thus help them escape lysosome degradation. This would in tum improve the efficiency of liposome drug delivery and gene transfection. Luciferase gene transfection was conducted on B16F10 cultured cells. The lipoplex comprising trans-2-aminocyclohexanollipid 1 significantly enhanced the Luciferase gene expression. The gene transfection efficiency correlated well with the pH-triggered membrane-rupture in the trans-aminocyclohexanol-based lipoplexes.