Effect of flavonoid structure on the fluidity of model lipid membranes

We investigated how the structural properties of (+)-catechin, (−)-epicatechin, (−)-epigallocatechin (EGC) and (−)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) correlate with structural changes of phosphatidylcholine plus sphingomyelin (2.4:1) model lipid membranes. Changes were measured by fluorescence anisotropy, electron paramagnetic resonance, and differential scanning calorimetry. Two fluorophores and two spin probes were used to monitor membrane characteristics close to water–lipid interface and in the middle of the bilayer. The data obtained were correlated to the amount of bounded compounds, the number of H-bonds, and the topological polar surface area (TPSA) of the compounds. These correlations reflect the behaviours of (+)-catechin, (−)-epicatechin, EGC, EGCG and BHT. Our results confirm that phenolics studied here are bounded to a membrane surface predominantly via hydrogen bonds, while BTH is inserted into the lipid bilayer.