Liposome-assisted delivery of enzymes and proteins

Enzymes, proteins, and peptides have specific roles in metabolic pathways, therapy, biomedicine, and even in food science. Proteins are the building blocks of life and, hence, are essential in the maintenance of life. A deficient state of proteins or their ameliorative effects or even hypocatalytic action of enzymes often requires either medically recommended intervention or dietary supplementation. However, vulnerability of these moieties to extremities of production, storage, and even nonspecific delivery is undesirable. These difficulties could be circumvented with encapsulation, particularly by nonthermal liposome-mediated encapsulation. Besides securing the vulnerabilities of these sensitive biologicals, liposomes also ensure their effective delivery. Many researchers have lauded the effects of liposomal entrapment and delivery to be efficient and site specific. Liposomes also allow the sustain release of entrapped biomolecules (proteins and enzymes) at the desired site, thus allowing the much desired sustained-release phenomenon to occur. This chapter collates the developments made in liposomal encapsulation of enzymes and proteins, and provides a brief yet coherent overview of the progress made. Recently published information as well as established knowledge are presented to provide an in-depth understanding of the various facets of liposomal entrapment of enzymes and proteins.