An analysis is presented of how the permeability coefficient/octanol:water partition coefficient ratio for 33 different chemical substances crossing egg lecithin bilayers depends on the molecular volume of the substances. From this analysis we conclude that bilayers made from egg lecithin behave as soft polymers in their discrimination between permeants of different sizes and shapes.

Developments in nanotechnology and in the formulation of liposomal systems provide the opportunity for cosmetic dermatology to design novel delivery systems. Determination of their physico-chemical parameters has importance when developing a nano-delivery system. The present study highlights some technological aspects/characteristics of liposomes formulated from egg or soy lecithins for topical...

The specific affinity for membrane lipids and the membrane selectivity of three imidazole derivatives, clotrimazole, miconazole, and econazole, were studied using various types of liposomes with respect to the lecithin fatty acyl group composition and the liposome content and composition of sterol as membrane models. The sensitivity of liposomes to these drugs was primarily dependent upon the l...

Depending on their phospholipid composition, liposomes are endocytosed by, or fuse with, the plasma membrane, of Acanthamoeba castellanii. Unilamellar egg lecithin vesicles are endocytosed by amoeba at 28 degrees C with equal uptake of the phospholipid bilayer and the contents of the internal aqueous space of the vesicles. Uptake is inhibited almost completely by incubation at 4 degrees C or ...

The purpose of this review is to give an insight into the considerable potential of lecithin based nanocarriers. The lecithin microemulsion and closely related microemulsion based systems are currently of interest to pharmaceutical researchers. Conventional systems for topical delivery of drugs meet many hindrances like reduced permeation and entrapment efficiency. Lecithin nanocarriers with th...

The effect of cholesterol enrichment and depletion of rabbit erythrocytes on the activities of membrane-bound enzymes, namely (Na+,K+)-stimulated ATPase, NAD+ase and acetylcholinesterase was examined. The cholesterol content of erythrocyte membranes has been modified by incubation of intact cells with sonicated egg lecithin/cholesterol vesicles (cholesterol/phospholipid molar ratio approx. 2) a...

Cryopreservation of spermatozoa plays a significant role in reproductive medicine and fertility preservation. Chicken egg yolk is used as an extender in cryopreservation of human spermatozoa using glycerol egg yolk citrate (GEYC) buffered medium. Even though 50% survival of spermatozoa is generally achieved with this method, the risk of high levels of endotoxins and transmission pathogens from ...

A practical and easily reproducible method for preparing lecithin of a high degree of purity is urgently needed in connection with the use of lecithin in cardiolipin antigens (1, 2). Methods devised for this purpose have been published (3, 4), but the procedures, based on the classic studies of Levene and his coworkers (5, 6), were somewhat tedious and the lecithins so prepared have not always ...

Milk thistle extract is a well-known hepatoprotectant with low bioavailability (20-50%). The objective of the present study is to prepare and characterize silymarin phytosomes and to test the hepatoprotective effect of the phytosomes in CCl4 induced liver injury in rats compared to milk thistle extract. Phytosomes were prepared using lecithin from soybeans and from egg yolk. The prepared phytos...

Medicine, U C L A Center for the Health Sciences, Los Angeles, California 90024 trioleate (266 mCi/mmole), Amersham/Searle, Arlington Heights, Ill. ; bovine albumin, fatty acid-poor, Miles Research Products, Kankakee, 111. ; Triton X-100, Rohm and Haas, Philadelphia, Pa. ; and egg lecithin, Schwarz/Mann, Orangeburg, N.Y. The egg lecithin was purified by a water wash of a chloroform-methanol 2 :...