Spectrofluorimetric Determination of Second Critical Micellar Concentration of SDS and SDS/Brij 30 Systems

Synergistic Interaction and Binding Efficiency of Tetracaine Hydrochloride (Anesthetic Drug) with Anionic Surfactants in the Presence of NaCl Solution Using Surface Tension and UV–Visible Spectroscopic Methods

Surfactants are ubiquitous materials that are used in diverse formulations of various products. For instance, they improve the formulation of gel by improving its wetting and rheological properties. Here, we describe the effects of anionic surfactants on an anesthetic drug, tetracaine hydrochloride (TCH), in NaCl solution with tensiometry and UV–visible techniques. Various micellar, interfacial, and thermodynamic parameters were estimated. The outputs were examined by using different theoretical models to attain a profound knowledge of drug–surfactant mixtures. The presence of attractive interactions among drug and surfactant monomers (synergism) in mixed micelle was inferred. However, it was found that sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) showed greater interactions with the drug in comparison to sodium lauryl sarcosine (SLS). The binding of the drug with surfactants was monitored with a spectroscopic technique (UV–visible spectra). The results of this study could help optimize the compositions of these mixed aggregates and find the synergism between monomers of different used amphiphiles.

A Surfactant Concentration Model for the Systematic Determination of the Critical Micellar Concentration and the Transition Width

The critical micellar concentration (cmc) is a fundamental property of surfactant solutions. Many proposed methods for the definition and determination of the cmc from property-concentration plots yield values, which depend on the studied property, on the specific technique used for its analysis and in many cases on the subjective choice of the chosen type of plot and concentration interval. In this focus review, we revise the application of a surfactant concentration model we proposed earlier that defines the cmc directly based on the surfactant concentration. Known equations for the concentration-dependence of different surfactant properties can then be combined with this concentration model and fitted to experimental data. This modular concept makes it possible to determine the cmc and the transition width in a systematic and unambiguous way. We revise its use in the literature in different contexts: the determination of the cmc of surfactants and their mixtures from different properties (electrical conductivity, NMR chemical shift, self-diffusion, surface tension, UV-Vis absorption, fluorescence intensity and fluorescence correlation). We also revise the dependence of the width of the transition region on composition, detailed studies of the properties of fluorescent probes and the aggregation of non-surfactant systems, namely amyloid peptides.

Synthesis and solution properties of novel thermo- and pH-responsive poly(N-vinylcaprolactam)-based linear–dendritic block copolymers

This study describes the synthesis and solution properties of the novel linear–dendritic block copolymers (LDBCs) based on thermoresponsive poly(N-vinylcaprolactam) (PNVCL) chains and pH-responsive poly(benzyl ether) dendrons.

Polysaccharide Fibers as Matrices for Solid-Surface Fluorescence

Fibers of cellulose diacetate (CDA) and chitosan (CTS) of polycationic and polybasic forms were tested as matrices for solid-surface fluorescence (SSF) of several fluorescent probes—eosin Y, trypaflavine, and pyrene. The morphology and surface potential of these matrices were examined. The influence of structural and energetic characteristics of the fibrous polysaccharide materials at SSF of the probes was shown. Fluorescence was studied in aqueous solutions of eosin Y and trypaflavine, in water-ethanolic and water-micellar surfactant media of pyrene, before and after dynamic sorption of the dyes on fibers and in the adsorbed state. The surface of CDA fiber was shown to be capable of sorbing trypaflavine from water and pyrene from water-micellar surfactant media of various types, so it can be a promising matrix for SSF of pyrene and trypaflavine and their chemical analogs. The Coulomb interactions were proposed to determine eosin Y and trypaflavine concentration on the surface of CTS matrices and the SSF of these probes. The CTS fibers were permeable to hydrophobic pyrene dissolved in an ethanol-water medium or solubilized in the micelles of ionic surfactants.

In vitro lipid peroxidation of intestinal bile salt-based nanoemulsions: potential role of antioxidants

Over the last decades, oxidative stress has been described as a deleterious phenomenon contributing to numerous noncommunicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancers. As many authors ascribed the healthy effect of fruit and vegetable consumption mainly to their antioxidant contents, it has been hypothesized that their protection could occur from the gut. Therefore, the aim of this study was to develop an original and physiological model of nanoemulsions to study lipid peroxidation within the intestine and to assess the properties of potential antioxidants in this setting. Several nanoemulsions were compared in terms of physical characteristics and reactivity to 2,2'-azobis-(2-amidinopropane) hydrochloride (AAPH)-induced oxidation. Formulations included different types of lipids, a detergent (a conjugated bile salt or sodium dodecyl sulfate) and, finally, lipophilic antioxidants. Hemin and myoglobin were also tested as relevant potential oxidants. Fatty acid (FA) peroxidation was monitored by gas chromatography while malondialdehyde and antioxidant contents were measured by HPLC. Investigated nanoemulsions were composed of spherical or cylindrical mixed micelles, the latter being the least resistant to oxidation. In the experimental conditions, AAPH was the only efficient oxidant. Alpha-tocopherol and lutein significantly slowed FA degradation from 4 to 1 μM, respectively. On the contrary, beta-carotene did not show any protective capacity at 4 μM. In conclusion, the tested nanoemulsions were appropriate to assess antioxidant capacity during the intestinal phase of digestion.

Effects of arginine and other solution additives on the self-association of different surfactants: an investigation at single-molecule resolution

Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy is used to monitor the self-association of SDS and DTAB monomers at single-molecule resolution. Tetramethylrhodamine-5-maleimide (TMR) has been chosen as a probe because rhodamine dyes have been shown to bind surfactant micelles. Correlation functions obtained by FCS experiments have been fit using conventional discrete diffusional component analysis as well as the more recent maximum entropy method (MEM). Hydrodynamic radii calculated from the diffusion time values increase with surfactant concentration as the monomers self-associate. Effects of several solution additives on the self-association property of the surfactants have been studied. Urea and glycerol inhibit self-association, and arginine shows a dual nature. With SDS, arginine favors self-association, and with DTAB, it inhibits micelle formation. We propose surfactant self-association to be a "supersimplified" model of protein aggregation.