Engineering Quercetin-Loaded Oxygen Nanobubbles by Optimizing Lipid Membrane Composition
22nd International Pharmaceutical Technology Symposium IPTS 2026, Ankara, Türkiye, 9 Eylül - 11 Ekim 2026, ss.37-38, (Tam Metin Bildiri)
- Yayın Türü: Bildiri / Tam Metin Bildiri
- Basıldığı Şehir: Ankara
- Basıldığı Ülke: Türkiye
- Sayfa Sayıları: ss.37-38
- Anadolu Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Introduction: Oxygen nanobubbles (ONBs) have emerged as promising nanosystems for wound healing owing to their ability to improve tissue oxygenation. However, their stability is strongly influenced by lipid composition and membrane properties. Quercetin is a potent antioxidant and wound-healing agent with poor aqueous solubility and limited bioavailability, making lipid-based nanocarriers an attractive delivery strategy. This study aimed to develop quercetin-loaded oxygen nanobubbles using hydrogenated soy phosphatidylcholine (HSPC) and to evaluate the effect of cholesterol content on formulation characteristics.
Material-Methods: Five formulations containing HSPC and cholesterol at molar ratios of 100:0, 95:5, 90:10, 85:15 and 80:20 were prepared by a modified thin-film hydration method. Each formulation contained 3 mg total lipid and 2 mg quercetin. Following solvent evaporation, lipid films were hydrated with preheated distilled water (60–65°C), vortexed and sonicated. The suspensions were transferred into sealed vials, the headspace was replaced with 99.995% oxygen, and samples were mechanically agitated for 30 min to generate oxygen nanobubbles. After centrifugation, the intermediate supernatant fraction was collected for characterization. Formulation parameters were optimized during preliminary studies.
Results: An optimum HSPC ratio produced oxygen nanobubbles with desirable physicochemical properties. The optimized formulation exhibited a mean particle size below 300 nm, a PDI below 0.30 and a zeta potential indicating satisfactory colloidal stability. High quercetin encapsulation efficiency and successful oxygen loading were achieved without compromising particle integrity. The optimized protocol also reduced aggregation and improved suspension homogeneity, providing a formulation suitable for further biological evaluation.
Discussion: Cholesterol concentration markedly influenced membrane organization and nanobubble characteristics. Appropriate cholesterol incorporation enhanced membrane rigidity, resulting in improved colloidal stability, reduced particle size, narrower size distribution and higher quercetin encapsulation. Moreover, hydration above the lipid phase transition temperature and optimized oxygen loading conditions were critical for reproducible nanobubble formation. These findings suggest that optimized quercetin-loaded ONBs may provide enhanced oxygen retention and antioxidant delivery.
Conclusions: Lipid composition and processing conditions were identified as key factors governing oxygen nanobubble formation and performance. The optimized HSPC/cholesterol formulation yielded stable quercetin-loaded oxygen nanobubbles with favorable physicochemical properties, supporting their potential as a platform for oxygen-assisted wound-healing therapy. Further in vitro and in vivo studies are warranted to confirm their therapeutic efficacy.
Acknowledgement: This study was supported by the Scientific Research Projects Coordination Unit of Selçuk University under Project No. 24401147.
Keywords: Oxygen nanobubbles, Quercetin, HSPC, Cholesterol, Wound healing
References:
Bavarsad, N., et al., Preparation and physicochemical characterization of topical quercetin loaded liposome. 2019.
Banche, G., et al., Antimicrobial oxygen-loaded nanobubbles as promising tools to promote wound healing in hypoxic human keratinocytes. Toxicology Reports, 2022. 9: p. 154-162