Translational motion and association in aqueous sodium cholate solutions

Thermodynamics of demicellization of mixed micelles composed of sodium oleate and bile salts

Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) was used to determine the critical micelle concentration (cmc) and the thermodynamic parameters associated with the demicellization of sodium oleate (NaO) and mixed micelles composed of the bile salt (BS) sodium cholate (NaC) or sodium deoxycholate (NaDC), respectively, and NaO at a molar ratio of 5:2. The influence of the ionic strength (pure water and 0.1 M NaCl at pH 7.5) as well as that of the temperature (10-70 degrees C) were analyzed. For NaO, two cmc's were detected, indicating a two-step aggregation process, whereas only one cmc was observed for the two BSs. A single aggregation mechanism is also evident for the demicellization of mixed micelles (BS/NaO 5:2). Increasing the ionic strength induces the well-known decrease of the cmc. The cmc shows a minimum at room temperature. The cmc(mix) of the mixed micelles was analyzed using models assuming an ideal or nonideal mixing behavior of both detergents. The thermodynamic parameters describing the enthalpy (deltaHdemic), entropy (deltaSdemic), and Gibbs energy change (deltaGdemic), as well as the change in heat capacity (deltaCp,demic) for demicellization, were obtained from one ITC experiment. From the temperature dependence of deltaHdemic, the change of the hydrophobic surface area of the detergents from the micellar into the aqueous phase was derived. In all cases, the deltaCp,demic values are positive. In addition, the temperature dependence of the size of the formed aggregates was studied by dynamic light scattering (DLS). DLS indicated two populations of aggregates in the mixed system, small primary micelles (0.5-2 nm), and larger aggregates with a hydrodynamic radius in the range of 50-150 nm.

Micelle formation of sodium chenodeoxycholate and solubilization into the micelles: comparison with other unconjugated bile salts

Micellization of sodium chenodeoxycholate (NaCDC) was studied for the critical micelle concentration (CMC), the micelle aggregation number, and the degree of counterion binding to micelle at 288.2, 298.2, 308.2, and 318.2 K. They were compared with those of three other unconjugated bile salts; sodium cholate (NaC), sodium deoxycholate (NaDC), and sodium ursodeoxycholate (NaUDC). The I(1)/I(3) ratio of pyrene fluorescence and the solubility dependence of solution pH were employed to determine the CMC values. As the results, a certain concentration range for the CMC and a stepwise molecular aggregation for micellization were found reasonable. Using a stepwise association model of the bile salt anions, the mean aggregation number (n) of NaCDC micelles was found to increase with the total anion concentration, while the n values decreased with increasing temperature; 9.1, 8.1, 7.4, and 6.3 at 288.2, 298.2, 308.2, and 318.2 K, respectively, at 50 mmol dm(-3). The results from four unconjugated bile salts indicate that the number, location, and orientation of hydroxyl groups in the steroid nucleus are quite important for growth of the micelles. Activity of the counterion (Na(+)) was determined by a sodium ion selective electrode in order to confirm the low counterion binding to micelles. The solubilized amount of cholesterol into the aqueous bile salt solutions increased in the order of NaUDC<NaC<NaCDC<NaDC. The first stepwise association or solubilization constants (K(1)) between a cholesterol monomer and a vacant micelle were evaluated at different bile salt concentrations. The constants were also determined for polycyclic aromatic compounds (benzene, naphthalene, anthracene, and pyrene). The corresponding DeltaG(0) value was most negative for cholesterol among the solubilizates studied, which indicated that cholesterol was thermodynamically stabilized most by solubilization into the bile salt micelles.

Temperature effect on formation of sodium cholate micelles

The micellization of sodium cholate (NaC) at 293.2, 298.2, 303.2, 308.2, and 313.2 K by cholate anion concentration was studied over the pH range from 6.0 to 7.2. Using a stepwise association model of cholate anions without bound sodium counterions, the aggregation number (nmacr;) of the cholate micelles was evaluated and found to increase with the total concentration, indicating that the stepwise association model is applicable. The nmacr; values go up and down with increasing temperature; 17 at 298.2 and 12 at 313.2 K and at 60 mM of the sodium cholate. The fluorescence of pyrene was measured in sodium cholate solution to determine the critical micelle concentration (CMC), indicating a narrow concentration range for CMC. A sodium-ion-specific electrode was used to determine a relatively low degree of counterion binding to micelles, supporting the validity of the present association model of cholate anions. The aggregation numbers evaluated at a constant ionic strength of 0.15 and at lower but variable ionic strengths were similar except for higher cholate concentrations.

Micelle formation of sodium deoxycholate and sodium ursodeoxycholate (part 1)

Micellization of sodium deoxycholate (NaDC) and sodium ursodeoxycholate (NaUDC) was studied for the critical micelle concentration (CMC), the micelle aggregation number, and the degree of counterion binding to micelle, where sodium cholate (NaC) was used as a reference. The fluorescence probe technique of pyrene was employed to determine accurately the CMC values for the bile salts, which indicated that a certain concentration range of CMC and a stepwise aggregation for micellization were reasonable. The temperature dependences of micellization for NaDC and NaUDC were studied at 288.2, 298.2, 308.2, and 318.2 K by aqueous solubility change with solution pH. Aggregations of the bile salt anions were analyzed using the stepwise association model and found to grow in size with increasing concentration, which confirmed that the mass action model worked quite well. The average aggregation number was found to be 2.5 (NaUDC) and 10.5 (NaDC) at the concentration of 20 mM and at 308.2 K. The aggregation number determined by static light scattering also agreed well with those by the solubility method in the order of size: NaUDC<NaC<NaDC at 308.2 K. The results indicated that the location of the OH group at C-7 and its orientation were the most important factors from the viewpoint of chemical structure for the growth of micelles. The activity measurement for sodium ions was made by a sodium ion selective electrode in order to confirm the low counterion binding to micelles and the validity of the present association model of bile salts, but the model did not hold good for NaDC at higher concentrations.

Micelle formation of sodium cholate and solubilization into the micelle

The micellization of sodium cholate (NaC) was studied at 298.2 K by aqueous solubility at different pH values. Using a stepwise association model of cholate anions without the sodium counterion, the aggregation number (n) of the cholate micelle was evaluated and found to increase with the total concentration, indicating that the mass action model worked quite well. The n value at 60 mM was found equal to 16. The membrane potential measurement of sodium ion with a cation exchange membrane was made in order to confirm the low counterion binding to micelle. The solubilization of alkylbenzenes (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, n-propylbenzene, n-butylbenzene, n-pentylbenzene, n-hexylbenzene) and polycyclic aromatic compounds (naphthalene, anthracene, pyrene) into the aqueous micellar solution of sodium cholate was carried out. Solubilizate concentrations at equilibrium were determined spectrophotometrically at 298.2 K. The first stepwise association constants (K1) between solubilizate monomer and vacant micelle were evaluated from the equilibrium concentrations and found to increase with increasing hydrophobicity of the solubilizate molecules. From the Gibbs energy change for solubilization at the different mean aggregation numbers and from molecular structure of the solubilizates, the function of sodium cholate micelle for solubilization was discussed and was compared with data from conventional aliphatic micelles.

Aggregation behavior of bile salts in aqueous solution

Freezing point depression, delta T/k, and pNa are measured and analyzed for aqueous solutions of trihydroxy (NaTC) and dihydroxy (NaDC and NaTDC) bile salts. The results show the existence of break points in the plot of delta T/k vs molality at 0.018, 0.013, and 0.007 m, respectively, in good agreement with previous published critical micelle concentration values. Above the break point bile salts form aggregates with average aggregation numbers of 2.59 +/- 0.12 (NaTC), 5.82 +/- 0.04 (NaDC), and 5.42 +/- 0.47 (NaTDC). Fractions of bound counterions are also deduced, being close to 0.3 for the three bile salts studied. This indicates that only one counterion is bound for every three monomers in the aggregate. The different structural models published for the bile salt aggregates are discussed.

Dissolution rate of griseofulvin in bile salt solutions

Bile salts increase the apparent solubility of lipophilic poorly water-soluble drugs like griseofulvin. In this study, the dissolution kinetics of griseofulvin in solutions of bile salts (sodium taurocholate and sodium cholate) were investigated. A rotating disk apparatus was chosen to monitor dissolution kinetics; it well-defined hydrodynamic conditions allowed for analysis of the behavior of bile salt micelles under different conditions. Griseofulvin solubility and dissolution rate increased with increasing bile salt concentration in the dissolution medium. The enhancement of the dissolution rate was not linearly related to the solubility increase, as diffusional transport of the solubilized drug proved to be less efficient than transport of the unsolubilized ("free") drug. The dissolution process proved to be controlled by convective diffusion. An analysis of the data with the phase separation model provided results for the micellar diffusion coefficient comparable with literature data obtained with different techniques.

Micelles and microemulsions in ionic surfactant and bile salt systems studied by self-diffusion

Multicomponent self-diffusion studies provide a general picture of amphiphile self-association. Both micelles and microemulsions based on bile salts show a lower degree of association cooperativity, lower aggregate charge densities and more extensive hydration than corresponding ionic surfactant systems. Effectively bicontinuous isotropic solutions of the microemulsion type are more easily formed by bile salts than by surfactants.