The influence of chondroitin sulfate on composite multilamellar liposomes containing chitosan

A composite multilamellar liposome containing chitosan attached to the inside and outside of the membrane as well as an opposite charged polyelectrolyte, chondroitin, adsorbed at the surface was developed. Not only the chitosan/chondroitin ratio but also the concentration of them were varied. The structure and superficial properties of the liposomes were studied through a combination of light scattering, zeta potential, and small-angle X-rays scattering techniques. While the chitosan/chondroitin ratio affected the superficial charge distributions, the concentration of polyelectrolytes affected the structural properties of the liposomes, as the rigidity of the phospholipid layers. The superficial charge of the resultant composite liposome was influenced by the type and concentration of the polyelectrolyte. Information about the charge density could be obtained by the treatment of zeta potential data, and it was used to estimate the amount of chondroitin adsorbed to the liposome surface. Applying the modified Caillé theory to the X-rays scattering curves, information about the internal structure of the liposomes was accessed. The ability to control the properties of composite multilamellar liposomes is an important issue when they have to be applied as a biomaterial device component.