Interaction of fengycin with stratum corneum mimicking model membranes: A calorimetry study

• Changes in lipid phase behaviour considerably affected the interaction of fengycin.
• Below main solid–fluid transitions, fengycin promotes the ordering of bilayer.
• Above main solid–fluid transitions it induces the melting of remaining solid domains.

Based on its outstanding antifungal properties, it is reasonable to believe that fengycin might be efficient to topically treat localized dermatomycoses. Since most of the fungi species involved in the formation of those mycotic skin diseases colonize primarily the stratum corneum (SC), studying the interaction between fengycin and SC-mimicking lipid membranes is a primary step to determine the potential of fengycin to overcome the physical barrier of the skin.In this respect, multilamellar lipid vesicles (MLVs), with a lipid composition mimicking that of the SC, were prepared and characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The critical micelle concentration (CMC) of fengycin was also assessed under skin conditions and found to be 1.2 ± 0.1 μM. The molecular interactions of fengycin with SC-mimicking MLVs were investigated by both DSC and isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC). Results showed that the interactions were considerably affected by changes in lipid phase behaviour. At 40 °C and below, fengycin induced exothermic changes in the lipid structures suggesting that less-ordered lipid domains became more-ordered in presence of fengycin. At 60 °C, clearly endothermic interaction enthalpies were observed, which could arise from the “melting” of remaining solid domains enriched in high melting lipids that without fengycin melt at higher temperatures.

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