Provided in the present invention is a
nitrogen-containing heterocycle-branched cationic lipid. The structure thereof is as represented by general formula (1), wherein the definition of each symbol is consistent with that described herein. The
nitrogen-containing heterocycle-branched cationic lipid has a
nitrogen-containing heterocycle as a branched core, an
amino acid or an
amino acid derivative as a
linker arm, and a saturated or
unsaturated hydrocarbon group as a
tail chain; and has the advantages of
low toxicity, low
immunogenicity and high
biocompatibility. In the new cationic lipid of the present invention, the electropositivity of the nitrogen on the nitrogen-containing heterocycle is delocalized to the whole ring, so that the cationic lipid shows higher
transfection efficiency and lower
cytotoxicity. The new cationic lipid of the present invention contains one or more biodegradable groups between the nitrogen-containing heterocycle and the hydrophobic
tail, and the presence of the degradable groups enables a lipid
nanoparticle (LNP) prepared from the cationic lipid to be timely degraded in the
endosome, such that the problem in the prior art whereby LNPs prepared from a non-degradable lipid accumulate in the
endosome and acidify the endosomal environment, thereby hindering the endosomal escape of a
drug molecule (such as a
nucleic acid) and thus the
drug delivered into a
cell not being able to function is solved.