Self-assembly of bile salts and their mixed aggregates as building blocks for smart aggregates

The present communication offers a comprehensive overview of the self-assembly of bile salts emphasizing their mixed smart aggregates with a variety of amphiphiles. Using an updated literature survey, we have explored the dissimilar interactions of bile salts with different types of surfactants, phospholipids, ionic liquids, drugs, and a variety of natural and synthetic polymers. While assembling this review, special attention was also provided to the potency of bile salts to alter the size/shape of aggregates formed by several amphiphiles to use these aggregates for solubility improvement of medicinally important compounds, active pharmaceutical ingredients, and also to develop their smart delivery vehicles. A fundamental understanding of bile salt mixed aggregates will enable the development of new strategies for improving the bioavailability of drugs solubilized in newly developed potential hosts and to formulate smart aggregates of desired morphology for specific targeted applications. It enriches our existing knowledge of the distinct interactions exerted in mixed systems of bile salts with variety of amphiphiles. By virtue of this, researchers can get innovative ideas to construct novel nanoaggregates from bile salts by incorporating various amphiphiles that serve as a building block for smart aggregates for their numerous industrial applications.

Self-Assembly, Interfacial, and Thermodynamic Properties of Antipsychotic Drug with Bile Salt in Water/Salt Solutions

Herein, we investigated the micelle formation of mixed systems of the antipsychotic drug, chlorpromazine hydrochloride (CPZ), and the bile salt, sodium deoxycholate (NaDC), both in the absence and presence of NaCl by tensiometry. To understand the aggregation behaviour of the mixture of these two amphiphiles, we calculated various micellar and interfacial parameters using the theories of Clint, Rubingh, Rosen and Motomura. The calculated interaction parameters indicate an attractive interaction between the two amphiphiles both in the absence and presence of salt. The results were discussed with regard to the use of bile salt as a promising drug carrier for CPZ and the improvement of its bioavailability.

The mechanism of solifenacin release from a pH-responsive ion-complex oral suspension in the fasted upper gastrointestinal lumen

The main objective of this study was to investigate the mechanism of solifenacin release from a pH-responsive ion-complex oral resinate suspension under conditions simulating the environment in the upper gastrointestinal lumen. A secondary objective was to propose an appropriate in vitro methodology for evaluating the quality of orally administered solifenacin suspensions. The mechanism of solifenacin release from polacrilin potassium resin (Amberlite® IRP88) was investigated using biorelevant media and compendial setups (USP Apparatus 2 and USP Apparatus 4) and using newer, recently validated in vitro methodologies [biorelevant gastrointestinal transfer (BioGIT) system]. We evaluated the impact of particle size and concentration of the resin; thickener concentration (carbomer homopolymer, type B); and the impact of pH, cationic strength, agitation intensity and level of simulation of contents in the upper gastrointestinal lumen. Data suggested that solifenacin release from the resinate was determined by the resin particle size, the medium pH, cationic strength (when the conditions in the upper small intestine are simulated) and the level of simulation of contents in the upper small intestine. The interaction of solifenacin with taurocholic acid/lecithin aggregates was significant, but unlikely to affect the degree of solifenacin absorption, as a BCS Class I compound. Under acidic conditions, solifenacin was dissociated and released from the pH-responsive resin rapidly. Under conditions simulating the contents of the upper small intestine, solifenacin was replaced by cations from the testing media and diffused through the resin matrix. All three in vitro systems with or without a pH gradient are useful in distinguishing solifenacin release characteristics from resinate suspensions with different particle sizes. Because of this drug release mechanism, USP Apparatus 2 with fixed pH media demonstrated equivalent or slightly higher discriminative sensitivity than the other setups and appears to be appropriate for product quality control.

Study of Zinc-glycylglycine Complex with Ninhydrin in Aqueous and Cationic Micellar Media: A Spectrophotometric Technique

Studies of the interaction between the zinc-peptide complex ([Zn(II)-Gly-Gly]+) and ninhydrin in aqueous and CTAB surfactant media were executed by the means of UV-visible spectrophotometry. The reaction rates (k obs and k ψ) were determined in both media by varying different parameters such as pH, temperature and the concentration of the reactants and CTAB. The micellar binding constants and activation parameters were also calculated. The catalytic activity in the CTAB medium was found to be better than in the aqueous medium on the title reaction. The catalysis by CTAB is treated quantitatively by applying the model of the kinetic pseudo-phase of the micelle. Variation of the rate constant with the change of the CTAB concentration was used for the calculation of several kinetic parameters such as the binding constants (K B and K Nin) and the micellar rate constant k m. On basis of the experimental results, a probable mechanism is proposed.

Aggregation and interfacial phenomenon of amphiphilic drug under the influence of pharmaceutical excipients (green/biocompatible gemini surfactant)

In the current study, we have examined the interaction amongst an antidepressant drug amitriptyline hydrochloride (AMH) and ethane-1, 2-diyl bis(N,N-dimethyl-N-cetylammoniumacetoxy) dichloride (16-E2-16, a green gemini surfactant) through tensiometric and fluorimetric techniques in aqueous/electrolyte/urea solutions. Significant variations are observed in the various evaluated parameters in the present study. Gemini 16-E2-16 has outstanding surface properties along with a much lower cmc value, demonstrating very little toxicity as well as considerable antimicrobial activity. The cmc values of mixtures decrease through increase in mole fraction (α₁) of 16-E2-16, which specifies the nonideality of the solution mixtures, along with demonstrating the occurrence of mixed micellization too. Negative β^Rub values signify on the whole attractive force of interaction between constituents of mixed micelles. Owing to the incidence of electrolyte NaCl (50 mmol.kg^–1), lowering of the micelles’ surface charge happens, resulting in aggregation taking place at lower concentration while the presence of urea (NH₂CONH₂) halts micellization taking place, which means the cmc value increases in the attendance of urea. The ΔGmo values for all systems were negative along with the presence of electrolyte/urea. The excess free energy (G_ex) of studied mixed systems was also estimated and found to be negative for all the systems. Using the fluorescence quenching method, the micelle aggregation number (N_agg) was evaluated and it was found that the contribution of gemini surfactant was always more than that of the AMH and their value enhances in the existence of electrolyte while decreasing in the attendance of NH₂CONH₂ in the system. In addition, other fluorescence parameters such as micropolarity (I₁/I₃), dielectric constant (D_exp) as well as Stern–Volmer binding constants (K_sv) of mixed systems were evaluated and the results showed the synergistic performance of the AMH + 16-E2-16 mixtures. Along with tensiometric and fluorimetric techniques, FT-IR spectroscopy was also engaged to reveal the interaction among constituents.

Synthesis and Characterization of Dicationic Gemini Surfactant Micelles and their Effect on the Rate of Ninhydrin–Copper-Peptide Complex Reaction

Herein, we have synthesized and characterized dicationic Gemini surfactants. The effect of their micelles on the rate constant of ninhydrin with [Cu(II)-Gly-Gly]+ complex reaction was investigated under pseudo-first-order-conditions. Experiments were carried out by means of spectrophotometry. First- and fractional-order dependencies on [Cu(II)-Gly-Gly]+ and ninhydrin, respectively, were found. The results indicated that the efficiency of micellar catalysis by Gemini surfactants was significantly higher as compared to single-chained surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, CTAB. The Gemini surfactant produces a catalytic effect and leveling-off regions (just like CTAB) on the reaction rate. Later, Gemini with higher concentrations gives a third region of increasing k ψ. The effect of surfactants was rationalized by hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions. The observed kinetic effects are explained by applying the Menger-Portnoy model.