Evaluation of Ferulic Acid-Biomembrane Interaction by Liposome Electrokinetic Chromatography

A facile method for evaluating acidic drug-biomembrane interaction was established by liposome electrokinetic chromatography (LEKC). LEKC is a capillary electrophoresis technique, where liposome is incorporated into a buffer solution and acts as a pseudostationary phase using the structural similarity of liposome and biomembrane. Liposome–water partition coefficient (Klw) of ferulic acid was determined within a few minutes. The effect of cholesterol content, buffer pH, and buffer composition on Klw was investigated, respectively. An increase in cholesterol content (0–30%) and pH values (4.00–12.00) resulted in a lower Klw. In different buffer systems, the greater the ionic strength, the larger Klw was. The difference of Klw revealed ferulic acid–biomembrane interaction.