Effects of Phospholipid from Different Sources on the Stability
of Antarctic Krill Oil Liposomes
ZHENG Rui-qi1, HAN Wan-jun1,2, LIU Yuan-fa2,3*
(1. School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China;
2. Wuxi Shihezi Future Food Research Institute Co., Ltd., Wuxi, Jiangsu 214002, China;
3. School of Food and Health, Beijing Technology and Business University, Beijing 100048, China)
Abstract: To investigate the stability of Antarctic krill oil during processing, storage, and transportation, liposomes are employed as delivery carriers and the effects of four different phospholipids are investigated: soybean, egg yolk, rapeseed, and hydrogenated phospholipids, in combination with phytosterol or cholesterol. Liposomes were prepared using an ethanol injection method coupled with a multi-physical field combination process of high-pressure homogenization and microfluidization, and were systematically characterized from multiple perspectives including macroscopic physical stability, microstructural properties, intermolecular interactions, and membrane orderliness. Analysis of particle size, Zeta potential, Turbiscan stability index (TSI), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) showed that the interfacial properties and assembly stability of the bilayer membrane strongly affected by differences in the fatty acid chain structures of phospholipids. The canola phospholipid–phytosterol system exhibited the outstanding overall stability. After microfluidization, this system showed an average particle size of (173.8 ± 2.0) nm, a PDI of (0.20 ± 0.04), a Zeta potential of (−23.4 ± 1.2) mV, and a TSI value significantly lower than those of the other groups. Mechanistic analysis further confirmed that strong intermolecular hydrogen- bonding interactions were formed between rapeseed phospholipids and phytosterol at the optimal mass ratio of 9∶1, which induces the transformation of the liposomal composite membrane from a highly ordered crystalline state to a typical amorphous dispersed structure. This structural transition effectively achieve the rigidity of pure phospholipid membranes and improve compactness and flexibility of the membrane layer. From the perspective of molecular interactions, the interfacial stabilization mechanism of krill oil liposomes is revealed, providing theoretical guidance and experimental evidence for the rational design and industrial application of nanoscale delivery systems for highly unsaturated functional lipids.
Key words: Antarctic krill oil; liposomes; phospholipid sources; intermolecular hydrogen bond; microfluidization
Chinese Library Classification Number: TS221
Documentary Identification Code: A Article ID: 1007-7561(2026)05-0093-11
Published time on CNKI: 2026-08-04 13:16:41
Published address on CNKI: https://link.cnki.net/urlid/11.3863.TS.20260804.1108.002
