Winsor behaviour of sucrose fatty acid esters: choice of the cosurfactant and effect of the surfactant composition

Salt-induced gelation of nonionic sucrose ester dispersions

HYPOTHESIS

The dispersions of nonionic sucrose ester surfactants in water exhibit a highly negative zeta-potential, though its origin remains controversial. The addition of electrolytes to these dispersions may influence their zeta-potential, thus potentially affecting their physicochemical properties.

EXPERIMENTS

The electrolyte- and pH- driven gelation of aqueous dispersions of commercial sucrose stearate (S970) containing ca. 1:1 monoesters and diesters was studied using optical microscopy, rheological and zeta-potential measurements, and small-angle X-ray scattering techniques.

FINDINGS

At low electrolyte concentrations and pH ≳ 5, 0.5-5 wt% S970 dispersions exhibited low viscosities and behaved as freely flowing liquids. The addition of electrolytes of low concentrations, e.g. 9 mM NaCl or 1.5 mM MgCl2, induced the formation of a non-flowing gels. This sol-gel transition occurred due to the partial screening of the diesters particles charge, allowing the formation of an attractive gel network, spanning across the dispersion volume. Complete charge screening, however, led to a gel-sol transition and phase separation. Gel formation was observed also by pH variation without electrolyte addition, whereas the addition of free fatty acids had negligible impact on dispersion properties. These findings support the hypothesis that the negative charge in sucrose ester dispersions arises from hydroxyl anions adsorption on particles surfaces. Gels were formed using just 1.3 wt% surfactant, and the critical electrolyte concentration for gelation was found to scale approximately with the square of the cation charge, in agreement with the low surface charge density theory. The biodegradable sucrose esters gels offer a sustainable alternative for structuring personal and home care products, replacing the wormlike micelles of synthetic surfactants typically used at much higher surfactant and salt concentrations.

From Nucleation to Fat Crystal Network: Effects of Stearic-Palmitic Sucrose Ester on Static Crystallization of Palm Oil

Palm oil (PO), a semi-solid fat at room temperature, is a popular food ingredient. To steer the fat functionality, sucrose esters (SEs) are often used as food additives. Many SEs exist, varying in their hydrophilic-to-lipophilic balance (HLB), making them suitable for various food and non-food applications. In this study, a stearic-palmitic sucrose ester with a moderate HLB (6) was studied. It was found that the SE exhibited a complex thermal behavior consistent with smectic liquid crystals (type A). Small-angle X-ray scattering revealed that the mono- and poly-esters of the SE have different packings, more specifically, double and single chain-length packing. The polymorphism encountered upon crystallization was repeatable during successive heating and cooling cycles. After studying the pure SE, it was added to palm oil, and the crystallization behavior of the mixture was compared to that of pure palm oil. The crystallization conditions were varied by applying cooling at 20 °C/min (fast) and 1 °C/min (slow) to 0 °C, 20 °C or 25 °C. The samples were followed for one hour of isothermal time. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) showed that nucleation and polymorphic transitions were accelerated. Wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) unraveled that the α-to-β' polymorphic transition remained present upon the addition of the SE. SAXS showed that the addition of the SE at 0.5 wt% did not significantly change the double chain-length packing of palm oil, but it decreased the domain size when cooling in a fast manner. Ultra-small-angle X-ray scattering (USAXS) revealed that the addition of the SE created smaller crystal nanoplatelets (CNPs). The microstructure of the fat crystal network was visualized by means of polarized light microscopy (PLM) and cryo-scanning electron microscopy (cryo-SEM). The addition of the SE created a finer and space-filling network without the visibility of separate floc structures.

A critical appraisal of microemulsions for drug delivery: part I

Microemulsions (MEs) are thermodynamically stable, optically transparent isotropic solutions of oil and water successfully formulated by using a combination of suitable surfactant and cosurfactant. While the selection of oil is based primarily on the solubility of drug in it, surfactant is generally selected on the basis of its hydrophilic–lipophilic balance value. MEs are characterized by ultra-low interfacial tension between the immiscible phases and offer the advantage of spontaneous formation, thermodynamic stability and ease of manufacture. The solubilization power of MEs for lipophilic, hydrophilic and amphiphilic solutes form a viable approach for enhancing bioavailability of hydrophobic drugs and percutaneous permeation of poorly permeable drugs, mainly due to the large area to volume ratio available for mass transfer.

Investigation on in vitro dissolution rate enhancement of indomethacin by using a novel carrier sucrose fatty acid ester

BACKGROUND AND THE PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

The purpose of the present investigation was to characterize and evaluate solid dispersions (SD) of indomethacin by using a novel carrier sucrose fatty acid ester (SFE 1815) to increase its in vitro drug release and further formulating as a tablet.

METHODS

Indomethacin loaded SD were prepared by solvent evaporation and melt granulation technique using SFE 1815 as carrier in 1:0.25, 1:0.5 1:0.75 and 1:1 ratios of drug and carrier. Prepared SD and tablets were subjected to in vitro dissolution studies in 900 mL of pH 7.2 phosphate buffer using apparatus I at 100 rpm. The promising SD were further formulated as tablets using suitable diluent (DCL 21, Avicel PH 102 and pregelatinised starch) to attain the drug release similar to that of SD.. The obtained dissolution data was subjected to kinetic study by fitting the data into various model independent models like zero order, first order, Higuchi, Hixon-Crowell and Peppas equations. Drug and excipient compatibility studies were confirmed by fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry and scanning electron microscopy.

RESULTS

The in vitro dissolution data exhibited superior release from formulation S(6) with 1:0.5 drug and carrier ratio using solvent evaporation technique than other SDs prepared at different ratio using solvent evaporation and melt granulation technique. The in vitro drug release was also superior to that of the physical mixtures prepared at same ratio and also superior to SD prepared using common carriers like polyvinyl pyrollidone and PEG 4000 by solvent evaporation technique. Tablets (T(8)) prepared with DCL21 as diluent exhibited superior release than the other tablets. The tablet formulation (T(8)) followed first order release with Non-Fickian release.

CONCLUSION

SFE 1815 a novel third generation carrier can be used for the preparation of SD for the enhancement of in vitro drug release of indomethacin an insoluble drug belonging to BCS class II.

Calcium Phosphate Bone Cements Including Sugar Surfactants: Part Two-Injectability, Adhesive Properties and Biocompatibility

Addition of sugar surfactants, sucrose fatty acid esters and alkylpolyglucosides to a calcium phosphate cement, designed for bone reconstruction, is described. Thanks to their adsorption at the surface of the calcium phosphate particles, the sugar surfactants allowed a full injectability and brought a very good workability. Injectability was measured by monitoring force-distance curves. With some of the selected sugar surfactants adhesive properties of the cement pastes were also observed, which were measured by tack tests. Finally, some properties related to biological applications are described, including gentamicine release and osteoblast viability experiments. The whole study demonstrates that addition of these mild surfactants improved several properties of the calcium phosphate cement, without impairing function.

Calcium Phosphate Bone Cements Including Sugar Surfactants: Part One-Porosity, Setting Times and Compressive Strength

Addition of sugar surfactants, sucrose fatty acid esters and alkylpolyglucosides, to calcium phosphate cement designed for bone reconstruction is described. Thanks to their surface activity and through their adsorption at the surface of the calcium phosphate particles, they both induced a strong increase in the porosity (quantified by Image Analysis) and brought a very good workability. Other properties typically studied for these cements are reported, including setting times, compressive strength, cohesion in water, and effect of sterilization on these properties. The whole study brought good insight in the interest of adding these mild surfactants to improve several properties of the calcium phosphate cement, without impairing their function.

Sucrose esters with various hydrophilic-lipophilic properties: novel controlled release agents for oral drug delivery matrix tablets prepared by direct compaction

Sucrose esters (SE) are esters of sucrose and fatty acids with various hydrophilic-lipophilic properties which have attracted interest from being used in pharmaceutical applications. This study aimed to gain insight into the use of SE as controlled release agents for direct compacted matrix tablets. The study focused on the effect of hydrophilic-lipophilic properties on tableting properties and drug release. Sucrose stearate with hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) values ranging from 0 to 16 was systematically tested. Tablet formulations contained SE, metoprolol tartrate as a highly soluble model drug and dibasic calcium phosphate dihydrate as a tablet formulation filler in the ratio 1:1:2. The compaction behaviour of matrix tablets was compared with the compacts of individual starting materials as reference. SE incorporation improved the plasticity, compressibility and lubricating property of powder mixtures. The hydrophilic-lipophilic properties of SE affected tableting properties, drug release rate and release mechanism. Increasing hydrophilicity corresponding to the increased monoesters in SE composition increased the relative porosity, elastic recovery and tensile strength of the tablets due to the increased hydrogen bonding between the monoesters. This also facilitated the swelling behaviour of SE, which sustained the drug release rate. A sustained release effect prevailed in tablets containing SE with HLB values of 3-16. The ability to improve the tableting properties as well as sustain the drug release rate of the highly soluble model drug via gelation of SE highlights SE as promising controlled release regulators for direct compacted matrix tablets comprising drugs with various solubilities according to the Biopharmaceutics Classification System.

Shape Dependence in the Formation of Condensed Phases Exhibited by Disubstituted Sucrose Esters

We report on the self-organizing properties of sucrose esters that are di-(1',6', 1',6, and 6,6')-substituted with aliphatic chains of identical or different chain lengths and levels of saturation. For the materials possessing two saturated aliphatic chains, the compounds exhibited thermotropic lamellar smectic A phases. A remarkable new phase transition was observed for the di-octadecanoyl homologue in which one smectic A phase transformed into another with a continuous change in layer spacing, but with a discontinuous change in the correlation length. The incorporation of long cis-unsaturated chains led to increased cross-sectional areas of the chains relative to the sucrose head groups and, hence, columnar phases were observed.

PFGSE-NMR study of the self-diffusion of sucrose fatty acid monoesters in water

The micellization of pure monosubstituted sucrose fatty acid esters in water, namely sucrose octanoate, sucrose decanoate, sucrose laurate, sucrose dodec-5-cis-enoate, sucrose myristate, and sucrose palmitate, has been investigated by means of two NMR methods, pulsed field gradient spin-echo NMR (PFGSE-NMR), giving access to the self-diffusion coefficients of free molecules and micelles in solution, and the ERETIC method (electronic reference to access in vivo concentrations) for the measurement of concentrations by external calibration of a synthetic NMR signal. The early micellar regions and, when possible, the premicellar regions were investigated. By this method, we obtained the hydrodynamic radii of micelles, displaying a linear progression in relation to the chain length and an accurate determination of critical micellar concentration (CMC) for each sucrose ester. The effect of the regiochemistry of fatty chain grafting has been investigated, showing special behavior for 1'-O-sucrose palmitate.

Self-Organizing Properties of Monosubstituted Sucrose Fatty Acid Esters: The Effects of Chain Length and Unsaturation

Three families of mono-substituted sucrose fatty acid esters were prepared by enzymatic and classical synthetic procedures, and their self-assembly and self-organizational properties were investigated by thermal polarised light microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray diffraction. The properties were evaluated as a function of the fatty acid chain length. For the lower homologues of the series columnar liquid-crystalline stacking structures were found, whereas for the higher homologues, lamellar phases predominated. A model for the columnar stacking arrangement, consisting of a unique arrangement of the molecules which could lead to the creation of multiple internal ion channels between the hydrophobic interior and the hydrophilic exterior of the columns, is suggested.

Solubilization by different-sized surfactant mixtures

The solubilization phenomenon was investigated in mixed surfactant systems. The solubilization power of a mixed surfactant reaches its maximum at a particular temperature at each mixing ratio of surfactants. When the mole fraction of C4E1 in the total surfactant (w1 value) was varied in a water/C12E5/C4E1/decane system, the minimum mole fraction of total surfactant in the system necessary to obtain a single microemulsion phase (xi value) was almost unchanged for w1<0.3, whereas it increased remarkably for w1>0.8. The molar solubilization capacity (Cs=(1-xi)/xi) of the mixed surfactant decreased remarkably for w1<0.3, whereas it decreased gradually for w1>0.8. The result [Formula: see text] is due largely to the characteristic of the function xi(Cs)=1/(1+Cs), specifically, [Formula: see text] , where dxi/dw1=(dxi/dCs)(dCs/dw1). The partial molar solubilization capacity (Cs) of C4E1 was negative at almost all w1, but the Cs value of C12E5 went through a maximum on the addition of C4E1. Propanol (a cosurfactant) has the same effect on the solubilization phenomenon in the water/C12E6/propanol/heptane system. In the water/C12E5/C12E7/decane system, the Cs value of each surfactant did not vary greatly as the mixing ratio of surfactants was varied. The Cs and xi values were close to molar additivity for each mixing ratio.

Synthesis of novel N,N-di-n-alkylaldonamides and properties of their surface chemically pure adsorption layers at the air/water interface

A homologous series of new surface-active N,N-di-n-alkyl-substituted amides derived from delta-D-gluconolactone and alpha-D-glucoheptonic-gamma-lactone were synthesized. The adsorption isotherms of their surface-chemically pure solutions were measured and evaluated to obtain the adsorption parameters of standard free energy of adsorption (DeltaG(0)(ad)), surface excess (Gamma( infinity )), cross-sectional area of the adsorbed surfactant molecule (A(min)), and surface interaction parameter (H(s)). The surfactants possess comparatively low solubilities and do not form micelles at room temperature. This behavior is opposite to that of the other types of sugar surfactants showing excellent solubility and a strong tendency to association/micellization. The derivatives of gluconamide reveal surface activity slightly higher than that of the derivatives of glucoheptonamide, especially for long alkyl chains (n(C)>4). An increase in A(min) of about 6 A(2)/molecule for the gluconic series is observed.

Shear-induced phase transitions in sucrose ester surfactant

The behavior of a commercial sucrose stearate blend has been examined by means of various experimental techniques (differential scanning calorimetry, light polarization and electron microscopy, and rotational rheometry). A partial phase diagram in water has been established. It shows that the binary system forms a lamellar lyotropic mesophase and that the melting behavior is characterized by a lamellar gel-lamellar liquid crystalline phase transition. The identification of the liquid crystalline phase has been carried out from textural observation using polarization microscopy and freeze-fracture electron microscopy. At low surfactant concentrations, the phase transition has been followed through rheological experiments. Furthermore, a shear-induced transition, from the lamellar phase (sheets of surfactant bilayers including a few large multilamellar vesicles) to an onion phase, has been observed above a critical temperature of 43 degrees C. The vesicles so obtained did not relax over more than 3 weeks. The presence of a small ratio of distearate in the sugar ester blend seems to be the key to vesicle formation at low surface-active material concentration.