Preparation of Uniform Rich Cholesterol Unilamellar Nanovesicles Using CO₂-Expanded Solvents

Abstract

Nanoscopic and uniform unilamellar vesicles, rich in cholesterol, have been prepared by a new procedure, named "DELOS-SUSP", which is based on the depressurization of a cholesterol solution in CO 2 -expanded acetone into an aqueous solution containing a surfactant. The CO 2 is used here as a cosolvent medium, allowing the straightforward preparation of vesicular systems with controlled size distribution, uniform shape, and stability unachievable by conventional mixing technologies. The resulting nanoscopic vesicular systems dispersed in water were characterized using dynamic light scattering, ζ potential, turbidity, and cryogenic transmission electron microscopy. The influence of operational parameters of this new methodology on the physicochemical characteristics of the vesicular systems is also reported.

Zwitterionic betaine-cholesterol system: Effects of sonication duration and aging on vesicles stability

“…Vesicles are closed bilayers with unilamellar or multilamellar structures enclosing a core of aqueous solution [5]. Similarities in structural composition between vesicles and cellular membranes afford Page 2 of 14 A c c e p t e d M a n u s c r i p t vesicles the ability to encapsulate and transport both hydrophobic and hydrophilic molecules [6].…”

Cholesterol induced CTAB micelle-to-vesicle phase transitions

“…Vesicles are widely used as models of cell membranes and also as carriers for controlled delivery of hydrophilic and hydrophobic drugs [1,2]. Vesicles can be unilamellar or multilamellar spheroid structures composed of amphiphilic molecules.…”

Structural motifs of cholesterol nanoparticles

“…Partly for this reason and, more importantly, because of the interest arising from applications, 35 simulations have been carried out for the N = 30 cluster in CO 2 at T = 400 K and P = 1.2 Kbar in the supercritical region of the CO 2 phase diagram. Additional computations have been carried out for the same cluster at T = 490 K and P = 5 Kbar, a state lying on the same adiabat of the previous one.…”