Think of a liposome as a spherical cavity (vesicle) that can carry water-based active ingredients.
The basic material of liposomes are phospholipid molecules, which consist of a hydrophilic (water-bearing) head and a hydrophobic (water-repelling) end.
These lipid molecules naturally have two layers, with the heads facing outwards and the tails facing inwards.
And it is the central cavity that can carry vital nutrients (minerals, vitamins, trace elements, antioxidants and much more).
Simple liposomes with one hydrophilic core are called unilamellar. However, there are also multilamellar liposomes; think of these as an onion, i. e. there is another cavity in each nucleus, and inside it another one etc.
The individual vesicles are separated from each other by layers of water, with the nutrient contained only in the nucleus.
The advantage of this type of structure is that it provides even more protection for the nutrient, unlike the conventional unilamellar liposome. In practice, this means that the active ingredient reaches every cell that needs it without being damaged in the digestive system.
We also work with multilamellar liposomes at Vesantech because the technology we use can encapsulate the nutrient in two to four protective layers.
But let's go back to how liposomes are formed. It’s not only in labs.
Indeed, liposomes have proven to be great distributors of active ingredients that are expected to support targeted treatments for many serious diseases in the future. This is thanks to the transfer of nutrients in the highest concentration directly into the cells.
But liposomes also occur naturally in the body, for example in breast milk or colostrum, where absorption is a key issue.