Plant lipid droplets as carriers of therapeutics

Samenvatting

The delivery of hydrophobic molecules with therapeutic purposes is hindered by their low water solubility. Efficient delivery of these molecules to the target requires encapsulating them into a carrier. Several synthetic materials have been proposed to carry hydrophobic therapeutics; however, their biodegradability and effectiveness remain challenging. To address these challenges, there is growing interest in effective, non-toxic, biodegradable, natural materials for delivering these molecules. Plant lipid droplets (oleosomes), as nature-assembled lipid carriers, are promising alternatives to synthetic lipid-based delivery systems. Therefore, in this thesis, we aim to investigate plant lipid droplets as building blocks of nature and utilize them to carry hydrophobic molecules. The findings contribute to understanding the potential of plant lipid droplets in advanced applications.