title: Medium-chain fatty acid nanoliposomes for easy energy supply.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Developing a nanoliposome delivery system for an easy energy supply of medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs) to improve oral doses and bioavailability.
  
  
  METHODS
  Bangham's method and high-pressure microfluidization were used to prepare MCFA liposomes. The easy energy-supply property of MCFA nanoliposomes was estimated by the anti-fatigue experiments of mice including a weight-loaded swimming test and its corresponding parameters (serum urea nitrogen, blood lactic acid, and hepatic glycogen). For comparison, nanoliposomes without MCFAs and MCFAs not entrapped in nanoliposomes were used throughout.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with crude MCFA liposomes according to Bangham's method, the MCFA nanoliposomes made by high-pressure microfluidization exhibited great advantages in their characteristics, with a small average diameter (76.2 ± 34.7 nm), narrow size distribution (polydispersity index 0.207), high ζ-potential (-50.51 mV), great entrapment efficiency (70.5%) and drug loading (9.4%), and good stability. The high-dose group and the MCFA group (680 mg/kg) showed a longer weight-loaded swimming time (104 ± 29 min, P = 0.087, and 108 ± 11 min, P = 0.047, respectively) and significantly higher hepatic glycogen (16.40 ± 1.45 mg/g, P < 0.001 and 17.27 ± 2.13 mg/g, P < 0.001, respectively) than the control group (59 ± 11 min and 8.79 ± 2.76 mg/g, respectively). Moreover, serum urea nitrogen (891.5 ± 113.4 mg/L, P = 0.024, and 876.6 ± 70.8 mg/L, P = 0.015, respectively) and blood lactic acid (6.05 ± 1.40 mmol/L, P = 0.001, and 5.95 ± 1.27 mmol/L, P < 0.001, respectively) in the high-dose group and the group with an equivalent MCFA dose were significantly lower than those in the control group (1153.6 ± 102.5 mg/L and 12.53 ± 1.86 mmol/L, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Similar to MCFAs, MCFA nanoliposomes prepared by high-pressure microfluidization showed a strong easy energy-supply property, which suggested that MCFA nanoliposomes could be a potential drug candidate for an easy energy supply.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Wei-Lin
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Cheng-Mei
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jian-Hua
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Shui-Bing
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Hui-Juan
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Han-Wu
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Lei
authors.forename: Roger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ruan
authors.forename: Ti
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Zong-Cai
authors.initials: ZC
authors.lastname: Tu
authors.forename: Xin-Yong
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Song
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001806:Blood Urea Nitrogen; D055598:Chemical Phenomena; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000378:metabolism*; D002149:Energy Intake; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D006003:Glycogen / Q000378:metabolism; D019344:Lactic Acid / Q000097:blood; D008081:Liposomes / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D044085:Microfluidics / Q000379:methods; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009753:Nutritive Value; D010316:Particle Size; D010807:Physical Endurance; D011312:Pressure; D011897:Random Allocation
chemical_list: D004041:Dietary Fats; D005227:Fatty Acids; D008081:Liposomes; D019344:Lactic Acid; D006003:Glycogen