What Are Natural Phospholipids?

Lipids are defined as apolar molecules comprising as major classes fatty acids and fatty acid esters of normally natural origin. Non-natural components, such as dicarba-closo-dodecaboranes (in short carboranes) can also form acids and esters, which reveal lipid-like properties. Phospholipids are lipids usually composed of three components: a diglyceride, a phosphate group and another organic molecule such as choline, to produce phosphatidylcholine. Phospholipids are a major component of all cellular membranes and can form bilayers.

What Are Examples of Phospholipids?

The most common phospholipids are phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylinositol, and phosphatidylserine. These phospholipids share the common features of fatty acids esterified to the 1 and 2 positions of the glycerol backbone with the phosphate group esterified to the 3 position.

Where can phospholipids be found?

Phospholipids occur naturally in all living organisms as the major components of cell membranes. Various phospholipid classes with different polar moieties are found in nature.

What Are Phospholipids Used for?

Phospholipids are basic substances to maintain life activity. They are widely distributed in humans, animals, plants, and so on. Phospholipids are indispensable components of all cellular and sub-cellular membranes, they can arrange as bilayer membranes.

How Are Phospholipids Made?

Phospholipids are mostly made from glycerides by substituting one of the three fatty acids by a phosphate group with some other molecule attached to its end.

Are phospholipids Safe?

Researchers conclude that phospholipid feeding is safe, and can be effective as a vehicle for lecithin fatty acyl chain modulation of bile and lipid membranes. These findings may provide a basis for a controlled modulation of biliary phospholipids to increase cholesterol solubility in bile.

What Is Phospholipid Delivery?

The applications of phospholipids in the drug delivery systems are enhancement of bioavailability of drugs with low aqueous solubility or low membrane penetration, an improvement or alteration the uptake and release profile of drugs, protection of sensitive active agents from degradation in the GIT tract, reduced the side effects and masking of bitter taste of drugs. These properties offer various possibilities in formulation and potential applications.

What Do Phospholipids Transport?

Inter-organelle phospholipid transport via vesicles. Vesicles that carry proteins to the plasma membrane consist of a bilayer that contains phospholipids and other lipids. These vesicles bud from the ER and transport their protein cargo through the Golgi stacks via a series of fission and fusion steps.

References

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