Molecules 2007, 12(8), 1731-1754; doi:10.3390/12081731
Review

Supra-molecular Association and Polymorphic Behaviour In Systems Containing Bile Acid Salts

Marco Calabresi, Patrizia Andreozzi and Camillo La Mesa* email
Dipartimento di Chimica and SOFT-INFM-CNR Research Centre, Università “La Sapienza”, P.le A. Moro 5, Roma, I-00185, Italy
* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Received: 9 May 2007; in revised form: 12 July 2007 / Accepted: 12 July 2007 / Published: 7 August 2007
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bile Acids)
PDF Full-text Download PDF Full-Text [467 KB, uploaded 2 October 2008 11:53 CEST]
Abstract: A wide number of supra-molecular association modes are observed in mixtures containing water and bile salts, BS, (with, eventually, other components). Molecular or micellar solutions transform into hydrated solids, fibres, lyotropic liquid crystals and/or gels by raising the concentration, the temperature, adding electrolytes, surfactants, lipids and proteins. Amorphous or ordered phases may be formed accordingly. The forces responsible for this very rich polymorphism presumably arise from the unusual combination of electrostatic, hydrophobic and hydrogen-bond contributions to the system stability, with subsequent control of the supra-molecular organisation modes. The stabilising effect due to hydrogen bonds does not occur in almost all surfactants or lipids and is peculiar to bile acids and salts. Some supra-molecular organisation modes, supposed to be related to malfunctions and dis-metabolic diseases in vivo, are briefly reported and discussed.
Keywords: Bile Salts; Solutions; Micelles; Liquid Crystals; Gels; Fibres; Solids.

Article Statistics

Click here to load and display the download statistics.

Cite This Article

MDPI and ACS Style

Calabresi, M.; Andreozzi, P.; La Mesa, C. Supra-molecular Association and Polymorphic Behaviour In Systems Containing Bile Acid Salts. Molecules 2007, 12, 1731-1754.

AMA Style

Calabresi M, Andreozzi P, La Mesa C. Supra-molecular Association and Polymorphic Behaviour In Systems Containing Bile Acid Salts. Molecules. 2007; 12(8):1731-1754.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Calabresi, Marco; Andreozzi, Patrizia; La Mesa, Camillo. 2007. "Supra-molecular Association and Polymorphic Behaviour In Systems Containing Bile Acid Salts." Molecules 12, no. 8: 1731-1754.

Molecules EISSN 1420-3049 Published by MDPI AG, Basel, Switzerland RSS E-Mail Table of Contents Alert