DIANA IONESCU, ANCA POPESCU, MAGDA DRĂGUŞIN, MIHAI DIMA, ADRIAN IFTIME, CONSTANŢA GANEA

Department of Biophysics, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmaceutics, 8, Eroii Sanitari Blvd, Sect. 5, 050474-Bucharest, Romania

Abstract. Our paper investigates, by means of the black lipid membranes (BLM) technique, the effect of the natural flavonoid quercetin (QCT) on the electrical parameters of artificial phospholipidic membranes subjected to the action of Hofmeister anions (chloride, nitrate, acetate) in different concentrations. Quercetin shows a modulator effect on the anion-induced electrical parameters changes of lipid bilayers. As suggested by our results, quercetin acts by insertion in the artificial membrane, as well as by influencing the anion-lipid interactions. Our results indicate that the effects of quercetin and Hofmeister anions are not summative, which points out complex interactions in the membrane-anions-quercetin system.
Key words: quercetin, Hofmeister anions, BLM.

Corresponding author’s e-mail: ionescu_diana@yahoo.com

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