Surface tension and adsorption behavior of mixtures of diacyl glycerol arginine-based surfactants with DPPC and DMPC phospholipids

Sucrose esters as biocompatible surfactants for penetration enhancement: An insight into the mechanism of penetration enhancement studied using stratumcorneum model lipids and Langmuir monolayers

Up to now, the molecular mechanism of the penetration enhancing effect of sucrose esters (SEs) on stratumcorneum (SC) has not been explained in details. In this study, variety of surface sensitive techniques, including surface pressure-area (π-A) isotherms, infrared reflection-absorption spectroscopy (IRRAS), and Brewster angle microscopy (BAM), have been used to investigate interactions between SEs and SC intercellular lipids. A monolayer of the mixture of ceramide AS C18:18, stearic acid and cholesterol in the molar ratio of 1:1:0.7 on an aqueous subphase is a good model to mimic a single layer of intercellular SC lipids. The π-A isotherms of mixed monolayers and parameters derived from the curves demonstrated the interaction between nonionic surfactants such as SEs and SC lipids. With increasing SE concentration, the resultant monolayer films became more fluid and better compressible. IRRAS measurements showed that SEs disordered the acyl chains of SC lipids, and the BAM images demonstrated the modification of the domain structures in SC monolayers. Longer chain-SE has a stronger disordering effect and is better miscible with ceramides in comparison to SE with a shorter hydrophobic part. In conclusion, this study demonstrates the disordering effect of SEs on the biomimetic SC model, pointing out that small changes in the structure of surfactant may have a strong influence on a penetration enhancement of lipophilic drugs through intercellular lipids of skin.

Amino acid–based surfactants: New antimicrobial agents

The rapid increase of drug resistant bacteria makes necessary the development of new antimicrobial agents. Synthetic amino acid-based surfactants constitute a promising alternative to conventional antimicrobial compounds given that they can be prepared from renewable raw materials. In this review, we discuss the structural features that promote antimicrobial activity of amino acid-based surfactants. Monocatenary, dicatenary and gemini surfactants that contain different amino acids on the polar head and show activity against bacteria are revised. The synthesis and basic physico-chemical properties have also been included.

Dynamic properties of cationic diacyl-glycerol-arginine-based surfactant/phospholipid mixtures at the air/water interface

In this Article, we study the binary surface interactions of 1,2-dimyristoyl-rac-glycero-3-O-(N(alpha)-acetyl-L-arginine) hydrochloride (1414RAc) with 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylcholine (DPPC) on 0.1 M sodium chloride solutions. 1414RAc is a novel monocationic surfactant that has potential applications as an antimicrobial agent, is biodegradable, and shows a toxicity activity smaller than that of other commercial cationic surfactants. DPPC phospholipid was used as a model membrane component. The dynamic surface tension of 1414RAc/DPPC aqueous dispersions injected into the saline subphase was followed by tensiometry. The layer formation for the mixtures is always accelerated with respect to DPPC, and surprisingly, the surface tension reduction is faster and reaches lower surface tension values at surfactant concentration below its critical micellar concentration (cmc). Interfacial dilational rheology properties of mixed films spread on the air/water interface were determined by the dynamic oscillation method using a Langmuir trough. The effect of surfactant mole fraction on the rheological parameters of 1414RAc/DPPC mixed monolayers was studied at a relative amplitude of area deformation of 5% and a frequency of 50 mHz. The monolayer viscoelasticity shows a nonideal mixing behavior with predominance of the surfactant properties. This nonideal behavior has been attributed to the prevalence of electrostatic interactions.