LIPOSOMAL ZINC SUPPLEMENTATION FORMULATED BY WBCIL TO ENHANCE BIOAVAILABILITY AND THERAPEUTIC POTENTIAL IN HEALTH AND DISEASE MANAGEMENT

*Dr. Poulami Gupta Banerjee, Dr. Atanuka Paul, Dr. Argha Chakraborty, Subrata Kundu

This study aimed to develop and evaluate a liposomal formulation of Zinc (Zinc) manufactured by West Bengal Chemical Industries Ltd. (WBCIL), Kolkata, India, to enhance its bioavailability, stability, and healing efficacy as conventional Zinc supplements usually exhibit poor absorption and gastrointestinal side effects. While preparing liposomal Zinc, WBCIL employed phosphatidylcholine (PC) as the lipid carrier. Both the liposome and the liposomal formulation were crucially characterised for particle size, zeta potential, polydispersity index (PDI), and encapsulation efficiency (EE%). The results of liposomal characterisation are consistent with findings from our previous studies. The particle size, PDI, and zeta potential values of the liposome indicate its stable formation and uniformly dispersed nature. The Liposomal Zinc formulation exhibited a high EE% of 94.51% and maintained stability over six months (EE%: 94 ± 1%, assay: 20 ± 1%). Thermal stability tests (room temp. and 105°C for 4 hours) showed minimal changes in EE% and assay values. EDAX indicated carbon as the dominant element (70.80%). Sieve analysis showed 99.91% passed through a 400 µm mesh, with decreasing passage through smaller sizes, while EE% remained between 94.00% and 95.00%. The findings demonstrate that liposomal encapsulation significantly enhances Zinc’s physicochemical properties and biological activity. The liposomal Zinc by WBCIL offers a promising alternative for pharmaceutical and nutraceutical applications, especially in immune support, wound healing, and metabolic regulation.