Acidolysis of several vegetable oils by mycelium-bound lipase of Aspergillus flavus link

The ability of mycelium-bound lipase of a locally isolated Aspergillus flavus to modify the triglyceride structure of vegetables oils was studied. The catalysis involved the acidolysis of vegetable oils, such as palm olein, coconut oil, cotton-seed oil, rapeseed oil, corn oil and soybean oil, with selected fatty acids (FA). The reactions were followed against time, and the percentages of FA incorporated were determined by gas chromatography. Percentage of FA incorporated after 20-h reaction was in the range of 13 to 18%. Reaction between cottonseed oil with lauric acid gave the highest percentage of incorporation (18%), followed by soybean oil with lauric acid (16%) and coconut oil with oleic acid (16%). The results indicated that the hydrolytic affinity of A. flavus lipase demonstrates an acyl group specificity toward short-chain FA (C8–C10). Changes in triglyceride profiles of each oil were also monitored by reverse-phase high-pressure liquid chromatography. In all products, there were increases in the concentrations of several existing triglycerides and formation of new triglycerides. The melting points of all acidolyzed vegetable oils were determined by differential scanning calorimetry, and significant changes in melting profiles were noted

AKVANO (R) : A Novel Lipid Formulation System for Topical Drug Delivery-In Vitro Studies

A novel formulation technology called AKVANO (R) has been developed with the aim to provide a tuneable and versatile drug delivery system for topical administration. The vehicle is based on a water-free lipid formulation where selected lipids, mainly phospholipids rich in phosphatidylcholine, are dissolved in a volatile solvent, such as ethanol. With the aim of describing the basic properties of the system, the following physicochemical methods were used: viscometry, dynamic light scattering, NMR diffusometry, and atomic force microscopy. AKVANO formulations are non-viscous, with virtually no or very minute aggregates formed, and when applied to the skin, e.g., by spraying, a thin film consisting of lipid bilayer structures is formed. Standardized in vitro microbiological and irritation tests show that AKVANO formulations meet criteria for antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral activities and, at the same time, are being investigated as a non-irritant to the skin and eye. The ethanol content in AKVANO facilitates incorporation of many active pharmaceutical ingredients (>80 successfully tested) and the phospholipids seem to act as a solubilizer in the formulation. In vitro skin permeation experiments using Strat-M (R) membranes have shown that AKVANO formulations can be designed to alter the penetration of active ingredients by changing the lipid composition