Preparation and characterization of bionics Oleosomes with high loading efficiency: The enhancement of hydrophobic space and the effect of cholesterol

Liposomes (LIP) loaded with natural active ingredients have significant potential in the food industry. However, their low loading efficiency (LE) hampers the advancement of liposomal products. To improve the loading capacity of functional compounds, bionic oleosomes (BOLE) with a monolayer of phospholipid membranes and a glyceryl tricaprylate/caprate (GTCC) oil core have first been engineered by high-pressure homogenization. TEM revealed that the core of BOLE consists of GTCC instead of water, thereby extending the hydrophobic space. Steady-state fluorescence and active loading experiments confirmed that cholesterol (CH) detached from the phospholipid membrane and entered the oil core, where it repelled cannabidiol (CBD). Based on the extending hydrophobic space, CBD-BOLE was prepared and its LE was 3.13 times higher than CBD-LIP. The CBD-phospholipid ratio (CPR) of CBD-BOLE significantly improved at least 7.8 times. Meanwhile, the free radical scavenging activity of CBD was increased and cytotoxicity was reduced.