OBJECTIVETo prepare the novel liposomes composed of hydrogenated soybean phosphatidylcholine (HSPC) and soybean phosphatidylcholine (SPC) containing the total alkaloids from seed of Strychnos nux-vomica, and to compare the pharmaceutical properties of the novel liposomes with the corresponding HSPC or SPC liposomes.

METHODThe total alkaloids were extracted from seeds of S. nux-vomica. and further purified. Novel liposomes containing the total alkaloids were prepared by ammonium sulfate transmembrane gradients and stealth liposome technique. Pharmaceutical properties such as encapsulation efficiency (EE), size, zeta potential and drug release profile of novel liposomes and corresponding HSPC or SPC liposomes were compared intensively.

RESULTFor novel liposomes, HSPC-SPC (1:3) was the best ratio which has the highest EE. At the drug/lipid weight ratio of 1:6, the EE of novel, SPC and HSPC liposomes were (73.6 +/- 2.9)%, (62.9 +/- 1.8)% and (54.7 +/- 1.0)% (n = 3), respectively. Compared with the corresponding SPC or HSPC liposomes, the size of novel liposomes was obviously decreased but the zeta potential was not different. The results of drug release showed that the novel liposomes were more stable than the SPC liposomes in the presence of rat plasma

CONCLUSIONTaken together, high encapsulation efficiency improved stability in blood, and relative low price of phospholipids of the novel liposomes, indicate that the novel liposomes may act as promising carriers for anti-tumor traditional Chinese medicine.