Effect of oligosaccharides as lyoprotectants on the stability of curcumin-loaded nanoliposomes during lyophilization

Nanoliposome is a promising delivery system, whereas its commercial application is limited by the structural instability, cargo leakage and particles aggregation during the processing such as freeze-drying. In this study, the effect of four oligosaccharides, fructo-oligosaccharides, lactose, inulin and sucrose (control), on the physicochemical properties, structural stability, and in vitro semi-dynamic digestion behavior of curcumin-loaded nanoliposomes were investigated before and after lyophilization. The results showed that the addition of the oligosaccharides inhibited the changes in particle size and reduced curcumin leakage from lyophilized nanoliposomes. Oligosaccharides significantly improved the physical stability of lyophilized nanoliposomes and delayed curcumin release during in vitro digestion. In addition, oligosaccharides could decrease the hydrophobicity of liposomal membrane and the tightness of phospholipid molecule arrangement, with the increase in micropolarity and fluidity of the bilayer membranes. These results suggested that fructo-oligosaccharides, lactose and inulin could be effective lyoprotectants for lyophilized nanoliposomes.