Aescin - a natural soap for the formation of lipid nanodiscs with tunable size

Soft Matter. 2021 Feb 21;17(7):1888-1900. doi: 10.1039/d0sm02043e. Epub 2021 Jan 7.

Abstract

The saponin β-aescin from the seed extract of the horse chestnut tree Aesculus hippocastanum has demonstrated a beneficial role in clinical therapy which is in part related to its strong interaction with biological membranes. In this context the present work investigates the self-assembly of nm-sized discoidal lipid nanoparticles composed of β-aescin and the phospholipid 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DMPC). The discoidal lipid nanoparticles reassemble from small discs into larger discs, ribbons and finally stacks of sheets upon heating from gel-phase to fluid phase DMPC. The morphological transition of the lipid nano-particles is mainly triggered by the phospholipid phase state change. The final morphology depends on the phospholipid-to-saponin ratio and the actual temperature. The study is conducted by small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and transmission (TEM) and freeze fracture electron microscopy (FFEM) are used to cover larger length scales. Two different models, representing a disc and ribbon-like shape are applied to the SAXS data, evaluating possible geometries and molecular mixing of the nano-particles. The stacked sheets are analysed by the Caillé theory.

MeSH terms

  • Dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine*
  • Escin*
  • Lipid Bilayers
  • Scattering, Small Angle
  • Soaps
  • X-Ray Diffraction

Substances

  • Lipid Bilayers
  • Soaps
  • Escin
  • Dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine