Liposomal Incorporation of Lavandin Essential Oil by a Thin-Film Hydration Method and by Particles from Gas-Saturated Solutions

Lavandin (Lavandula hybrida) essential oil contains components with biocide and antiviral properties that can be used as substitutes for synthetic drugs in livestock. This application requires an appropriate formulation of the essential oil. Liposomes are promising drug carriers, because they can enhance the skin penetration of drugs, deliver the entrapped drugs across cell membranes, and improve essential oil stability and bioavailability. In this work, the incorporation of lavandin essential oil in liposomes produced with commercially available lecithins and cholesterol has been studied. Two different liposome production methods have been tested: a modification of the Bangham thin-film method and the particles from gas-saturated solutions (PGSS) drying process. Liposomes obtained with the thin-film method were multivesicular or unilamellar/multilamellar with a mean diameter of 0.4-1.3 mu m and an efficiency of incorporation of essential oil of up to 66%. The liposomes were stable for at least 1 month. On the other hand, by application of the PGSS process, dry and fine but aggregated soy lecithin particles were produced, with a particle size in the range 1.4-24.8 mu m and a poor efficiency of incorporation of essential oil ranging from 3% to 14.5%. These particles could be dispersed in water, producing liposomes whose size ranged between 0.5 and 1.5 mu m