Table 3.

Representative examples of liposomes for antimicrobial drug delivery

Function	Encapsulant		Drug		Targeted microorganism	Activity and features	Ref.
	Natural	Synthetic	Natural	Synthetic
Antibacterial	Partially hydrogenated egg phosphatidylcholine (PHEPC), cholesterol	1,2‐distearoyl‐sn‐glycero‐3‐phosphoethanolamine‐N‐(polyethylene glycol‐2000) (PEGDSPE)	Gentamicin	–	Klebsiella pneumonia	Improved survival rate of animal model Improved therapeutic levels	83
	Soybean phosphatidylcholine, cholesterol	–	–	Ampicillin	Micrococcus lluterus, Salmonella tphimurium	Greater stability Observation of entire biological activity of ampicillin	84
	Phosphatidylcholine, cholesterol, phosphatidylinositol	–	–	Netilmicin	B. subtilis, E. coli	Decreased toxicity Increased blood circulation half‐life Improved survival rate of animal model	85
	Egg phosphatidylcholine, diacetylphosphate, cholesterol	–	Vancomycin, teicoplanin	–	Methicillin‐resistant S. aureus	Improved drug uptake by macrophages Improved antimicrobial effect of drug	86
Antifungal	Hydrogenated soybean phosphatidylcholine, cholesterol	Distearolyphophatidylglycerol, monoethoxypolyethylene‐glycol 1900 succinimidyl succinate (activated PEG)	–	Amphotericin B	C. albicans	Improved therapeutic efficacy [AmB liposomes with prolonged circulation in blood: in vitro antifungal activity, toxicity]	87
	Phosphatidylcholine, cholesterol	Cardiolipin	–	Nystatin, amphotericin B	Fusarium oxysporum	Increased stability for storage Greater resistance toward destructive factors Improved therapeutic efficacy Novel liposomal forms of antifungal antibiotics modified by amphiphilic polymers	88
Antiviral	Phosphatidylcholine, stearylamine	Dioleoyl phosphatidylethanolamine	–	Phosphorothioate antisense oligodeoxynucleotides (PS‐ODN)	Duck hepatitis B virus (DHBV)	Improved targeting Inhibit DHBV replication	89
	–	1,2‐Didocosahexaenoyl‐sn‐glycero‐3‐phosphoethanolamine, 1,2‐didocosahexaenoyl‐sn‐glycero‐3‐phosphocholine, l‐α‐phosphatidylserine	–	–	HBV, HCV, and HIV	Reduces virus‐associated cholesterol	90
	Egg phosphatidylcholine, egg l‐α‐phosphatidylglycerol, cholesterol, tocopherol	–	–	SPC3	HIV‐1	Increase antiviral efficacy	82
	Stearylamine (SA)	Dicetylphosphate	–	Zidovudine	HIV	Improved targeting	91

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