Impact of quercetin and fish oil encapsulation on bilayer membrane and oxidation stability of liposomes

Unsaturated soy phosphatidyl choline (PC) liposomes were systematically analyzed for chemical and physical stability and for influence on membrane fluidity, when quercetin and fish oil were encapsulated. The physical stability of liposomes was lowered with loading, which is mainly due to fish oil leakage. While fish oil did not induce oxidative acceleration, quercetin did not reduce lipid-derived radical formation but it did inhibit hexanal formation. It also showed no relevant effects on membrane fluidity, polarity or partitioning of the spin probe TEMPOL-benzoate (TB), as proved by EPR measurements and simulation. However, increasing concentration of fish oil in a membrane might increase the acyl chain dynamics and therefore apply a more attractive environment for TB. In contrast to the encapsulates increasing fluidity of saturated membranes by disturbing the lipid packing, membrane properties of unsaturated systems with a Tm below 0 °C were not influenced by encapsulation of quercetin or fish oil.