Unilamellar lipid bilayers including cholesterol in wool Chlorination: stability of chlorine liposomes and application on wool

Abstract

We studied the application of unilamellar liposomes of a defined size (200 nm) containing cholesterol as vehicles for oxidative reagents in wool chlorination. To this end, we first studied the interaction between liposomes and chlorine in order to determine the physicochemical stability of these systems in the presence of this oxidative agent. We assessed physical stability by measuring both the mean vesicle size distribution of the vesicle suspensions and the changes in the ahsorbance of these systems, which are directly related to the aggregation or solubilization of liposomes. Our stndy of chemical stability was based on the lipid peroxidation index of liposomes at different chlorine concentrations at pH value 6.5. As regards the oxidative effects caused by the chlorine treatments of wool applied directly or by means of liposomes at pH 1.5, we investigated the extent of cysteic acid formation groups in wool fibers. Increasing amounts of cholestcrol in the lipid bilayers of liposomes enhaiice both the physicochemical stability of ihese systems and the inhibitor). ability of cvsteic acid formation when samples have been treated with chlorine-liposome systems.