Surfactants, biological

In MECC anionic surfactants are most frequently used, but cationic surfactants are also very popular. In addition, chiral surfactants, nonionic surfactants, zwitterionic surfactants, biological surfactants, or mixtures of each are finding increasing use. In all categories, variations in alkyl chain length will affect resolution or selectivity, as will changes in buffer concentration, pH, and temperature or the use of additives such as metal ions or organic modifiers. Typical surfactant systems used in MECC are shown in Table 5.3. 

Wet chemistry Procedures that involve distillations, colorimetric determinations, and titrimetric measurements. Examples of analytes that are routinely quantitatively determined by wet chemical methods include cyanides, methylene blue active surfactants, biological and chemical oxygen demands, abbreviated BOD, and COD. 

The possible adverse effects of surfactants in cosmetics and personal care products must, of course, be studied in depth for obvious safety reasons as well as for questions of corporate liability and image. Unfortunately, our understanding of the chemical reactions or interactions among surfactants, biological membranes, and other components and stmctures is not sufficiently advanced to allow the formulator to say with sufficient certainty what reaction an individual will have when in contact with a surfactant. In the end, we unfortunately still need the rabbit s assistance. 

J. Cross and E. J. Singer, Cationic Suf actants Analytical and Biological Evaluation, Surfactant Science Series, Vol. 53, Marcel Dekker, Inc., New York, 1994. CSMA Detergents Division, Test Methods Compendium, 2nd ed., CSMA, Inc., Washington, D.C., 1985. 

Within a series with a fixed hydrophilic head group, detergency increases with increasing carbon chain length, reaches a maximum, and then decreases. This behavior frequentiy reflects a balance between increased surface activity of the monomer and decreased monomer concentration with increased surface activity. Similar effects are seen in surfactants in biological systems. 

Albertsson (Paiiition of Cell Paiiicle.s and Macromolecules, 3d ed., Wiley, New York, 1986) has extensively used particle distribution to fractionate mixtures of biological products. In order to demonstrate the versatility of particle distribution, he has cited the example shown in Table 22-14. The feed mixture consisted of polystyrene particles, red blood cells, starch, and cellulose. Liquid-liquid particle distribution has also been studied by using mineral-matter particles (average diameter = 5.5 Im) extracted from a coal liquid as the solid in a xylene-water system [Prudich and Heniy, Am. Inst. Chem. Eng. J., 24(5), 788 (1978)]. By using surface-active agents in order to enhance the water wettability of the solid particles, recoveries of better than 95 percent of the particles to the water phase were obsei ved. All particles remained in the xylene when no surfactant was added. 

The numerous separations reported in the literature include surfactants, inorganic ions, enzymes, other proteins, other organics, biological cells, and various other particles and substances. The scale of the systems ranges from the simple Grits test for the presence of surfactants in water, which has been shown to operate by virtue of transient foam fractionation [Lemlich, J. Colloid Interface Sci., 37, 497 (1971)], to the natural adsubble processes that occur on a grand scale in the ocean [Wallace and Duce, Deep Sea Res., 25, 827 (1978)]. For further information see the reviews cited earlier. 

Recent publications indicate the cloud-point extraction by phases of nonionic surfactant as an effective procedure for preconcentrating and separation of metal ions, organic pollutants and biologically active compounds. The effectiveness of the cloud-point extraction is due to its high selectivity and the possibility to obtain high coefficients of absolute preconcentrating while analyzing small volumes of the sample. Besides, the cloud-point extraction with non-ionic surfactants insures the low-cost, simple and accurate analytic procedures. 

The pur pose of work is to develop the technique of separ ation of purine bases (caffeine, theophylline, theobromine) and the technique of detection of purine bases in biological fluid by TLC using micellar mobile phases containing of different surfactants. 

Cationic Surfactants Analytical and Biological Evaluation, edited by John Cross and Edward J. Singer... 

It should be noted that Cypridina luciferin emits a fairly strong chemiluminescence in aqueous solutions in the presence of various lipids and surfactants, even in the complete absence of luciferase. The luminescence is especially conspicuous with cationic surfactants (such as hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide) and certain emulsion materials (such as egg yolk and mayonnaise). Certain metal ions (especially Fe2+) and peroxides can also cause luminescence of the luciferin. Therefore, great care must be taken in the detection of Cypridina luciferase in biological samples with Cypridina luciferin. 

In summary, therefore, AOS (as far as has been determined) does not represent any significant health hazard. The most notable biological response is that of skin/eye irritation, which may be expected as a result of the physicochemical properties of a surfactant. 

In recent years bi- and polyfunctional phosphorus-containing surfactants have attracted interest, mainly due to their combination of surface activity and sequestering ability. However, anticorrosiveness and biologically active behavior are also effects that are sought after. 

Recommended model particle systems are enzymes immobilised on carriers ([27,44,45,47,49]), oil/water/surfactant or solvent/water/surfactant emulsions ([27, 44, 45] or [71, 72]) and a certain clay/polymer floccular system ([27, 42-52]), which have proved suitable in numerous tests. The enzyme resin described in [27,44,47] (acylase immobilised on an ion-exchanger) is used on an industrial scale for the cleavage of Penicillin G and is therefore also a biological material system. In Table 3 are given some data to model particle systems. 

Attwood D. Florence A.T. (1983) Surfactant Systems, Their Chemistry, Pharmacy and Biology. London Chapman Hall. (2.3.2)... 

Sulphonic acids are water soluble, viscous liquids. Their acidity is akin to that of sulphuric acid feey form salts with bases but fail to undergo esterification with alcohols. Their properties vary according to the nature of R some are prone to thermal decomposition. They are used as surfactants and in the dye industry some have biological uses. 2-Amino-ethanesulphonic acid is the only naturally occurring sulphonic acid. 

VoUcering F, AM Breure, WH RuUcens (1998) Microbiological aspects of surfactant use for biological soil remediation. Biodegradation 8 401-417. 

---