Preparation, characterization and macrophage-stimulating activity of polyguluronate nanoliposomes

Polyguluronate (PG) consists entirely of α-L-guluronic acid derived from alginate, which is an acidic polysaccharide extracted from brown algae. PG has a short half-life and is easily degraded by microorganisms, resulting in decreased activity and thus its application in the medical field. In this study, polyguluronate liposomes (PGLs) were prepared to improve the macrophage-stimulating activity of PG. The morphology, encapsulation efficiency, particle size distribution, zeta potential and stability of the PGLs were characterized. Results showed that PGLs were uniformly round with an encapsulation efficiency of 77.76 ± 0.89%, a particle size of 63.96 ± 3.98 nm and a zeta potential of -53.4 ± 1.75 mV. The stability studies showed that PGLs should be stored in a neutral environment at 4 °C. The macrophage-stimulating activity of PGLs was better than that of PG. This study provides a promising carrier for the further application of PG in food or medicine.