The isolation of milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) material from buttermilk on a commercial scale has provided a new ingredient rich in phospholipids and sphingolipids. An MFGM-derived phospholipid fraction was used to produce liposomes via a high-pressure homogenizer (Microfluidizer). This technique does not require the use of solvents or detergents, and is suitable for use in the food industry. The liposome dispersion had an average hydrodynamic diameter of 95 nm, with a broad particle-size distribution. Increasing the number of passes through the Microfluidizer, increasing the pressure, or reducing the phospholipid concentration all resulted in a smaller average liposome diameter. Changing these variables did not have a significant effect on the polydispersity of the dispersion. Electron microscopy showed that the dispersions formed had a range of structures, including unilamellar, multilamellar, and multivesicular liposomes. The composition of the MFGM phospholipid material is different from that of the phospholipids usually used for liposome production in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. The MFGM-derived fraction comprises approximately 25% sphingomyelin, and the fatty acids are primarily saturated and monounsaturated. These differences are likely to affect the properties of the liposomes produced from the phospholipid material, and it may be possible to exploit the unique composition of the MFGM phospholipid fraction in the delivery of bioactive ingredients in functional foods.
The composition of NEFAs can acutely affect FMD. The beneficial effect of LC n-3 PUFAs on postprandial vascular function warrants further investigation but may be mediated by nitric oxide-independent mechanisms. This trial is registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01351324.
-Liposomes prepared from a milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) phospholipid fraction have been shown to have significantly different physical and chemical characteristics and appeared to be more stable in a variety of conditions than liposomes prepared from soya phospholipid material. These liposome systems were used to try to encapsulate model hydrophobic (β-carotene) and hydrophilic (potassium chromate) compounds. Liposomes produced from the MFGM-derived phospholipids showed significantly higher entrapment efficiencies for both β-carotene and potassium chromate. The differences were particularly apparent when using the hydrophobic molecules at low ratios of β-carotene to phospholipid. It is likely that the improved incorporation efficiency for β-carotene is due to the partitioning of the molecule between the aqueous phase and the phospholipid membrane, a property which will be dependent on the specific composition of the phospholipid material used. The higher encapsulation efficiency for the potassium chromate appeared to reflect the slightly larger diameter of the liposomes produced from the MFGM material. These results suggest that there may be inherent advantages in the use of liposomes prepared from MFGM-derived phospholipids via microfluidization for the encapsulation of both hydrophobic and hydrophilic compounds.
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