Stability, bioavailability, and antimicrobial activity of garlic extract liposomes prepared from lecithin and β-sitosterol

In the present study, garlic essential oil (GEO) was embedded in lecithin (LT) and β-sitosterol (β-S). Liposomes (L-S-G) were then prepared by injecting ethanol injection to improve bioavailability of GEO (51%) andthe particle size, encapsulation efficiency, and stability of L-S-G were analyzed. The stability of L-S-G samples under different storage conditions such as light and dark was also evaluated. Results of the present study showed that the encapsulation efficiency of the liposomes was 81% and the average particle size of the embedded L-S-G was 375.8 nm. The particle size of liposomes stored for 15 days under light and dark conditions were 529 nm and 473 nm, respectively. In addition, the findings from the gastrointestinal experiment in the current study showed that the bioavailability of L-S-G was 51%. The long-term bacteriostatic experiments of the present study revealed that the garlic essence liposomes effectively inhibited growth of Listeria monocytogenes in beef, chicken, and pork as compared with garlic essential oil.Graphical abstract