Speaker
Description
This study investigates the role of charged lipids in the plasma membrane with respect to the interaction of the antiviral saponin glycyrrhizin with such membranes. Glycyrrhizin is a natural triterpenic-based surfactant found in licorice. Vesicles made of 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho-rac-(1’-glycerol) (DOPG)/glycyrrhizin are characterized by small-angle scattering with neutrons and X-rays (SANS and SAXS). Small-angle scattering data are first evaluated by the model-independent modified Kratky–Porod method and afterwards fitted by a model describing the shape of small unilamellar vesicles (SUV) with an internal head-tail contrast. Complete miscibility of DOPG and glycyrrhizin was revealed even at a ratio of lipid:saponin of 1:1. This is in line with the observation of glycyrrhizin not being haemolytic. Additional information about the chain-chain correlation distance of the lipid/saponin mixtures in the SUV structures is obtained from wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS).
