Effect of β-sitosterol concentration and high pressure homogenization on the chlorhexidine release from vesicular gels

Previous studies have confirmed that the phase transition of vesicular gels of hydrogenated phospholipids to the less ordered fluid vesicular state was induced by the increase of the β-sitosterol ratio in the whole gel system and consequently in the lipid bilayer. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the influence of the β-sitosterol portion in the lipid bilayer and the effect of high pressure homogenization on the structural characteristics of the prepared gel systems. In addition the influence of β-sitosterol on the consequent chlorhexidine release from the obtained vesicles and liposomes was also examined. Lipid mixtures were prepared from different molar ratios of lecithin:sterol components (90:10–65:35 mol%). The obtained mixtures were hydrated with the aqueous solution of chlorhexidine digluconate in order to achieve a 30% (w/w) final concentration of the lipid mixtures and a 4% (w/w) concentration of the drug. One portion of the resultant multilamellar vesicles was homogenized by using high pressure. To characterize the homogenized and non-homogenized systems, transmission electron microscopy of the freeze-fractured samples and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were carried out. A vertical type diffusion cell was applied to determine the amount of released chlorhexidine digluconate. Along with the increase in β-sitosterol concentration, the fluidity of the membrane as well as its permeability also increased. The increased permeability—caused by the higher β-sitosterol concentration—and the high pressure homogenization, which increased the dispersity and therefore the surface area, enabled a higher amount of chlorhexidine to be released. The increase of drug release was more pronounced in the case of samples prepared with high pressure homogenization.