Surfactant glycerides

Sulfated Natural Oils and Fats. Sulfated natural triglycerides were the first nonsoap commercial surfactants introduced in the middle of the nineteenth century. Since then sulfates of many vegetable, animal, and fish oils have been investigated (see also Fats AND FATTY oils). With its hydroxyl group and a double bond, ricinoleic acid (12-hydroxy-9,10-octadecenoic acid) is an oil constituent particularly suited for sulfation. Its sulfate is known as turkey-red oil. Oleic acid is also suited for sulfation. Esters of these acids can be sulfated with a minimum of hydrolysis of the glyceride group. Polyunsaturated acids, with several double bonds, lead to dark-colored sulfation products. The reaction with sulfuric acid proceeds through either the hydroxyl or the double bond. The sulfuric acid half ester thus formed is neutralized with caustic soda ... 

Many other products can be used as softeners but are less important commercially because of greater cost and/or inferior properties. Examples are anionic surfactants such as long-chain (C16-C22) alkyl sulphates, sulphonates, sulphosuccinates and soaps. These have rather low substantivity and are easily washed out. Nonionic types of limited substantivity and durability, usually applied by padding, include polyethoxylated derivatives of long-chain alcohols, acids, glycerides, oils and waxes. They are useful where ionic surfactants would pose compatibility problems and they exhibit useful antistatic properties, but they are more frequently used as lubricants in combination with other softeners, particularly the cationics. 

More importantly, lipid peroxidation can be controlled or minimized by design of formulation. While saturated lipids (e.g., MCTs) will themselves not be susceptible to peroxidation, they may contain sufLcient unsaturated impuritiesto be problematic. Similarly, monounsaturated lipids (e.g., oleic acid glycerides) are much less susceptible to peroxidation. The relative rates of peroxidation of oleic, linoleic, and linolenic acids are 6 64 100, respectively (Swern, 1995). Monounsaturated lipids may, however, may contain polyunsaturated impurities, which will catalyze the oxidation ofthe monounsaturated components (Swern, 1995). Surfactants, particularly those based on PEG, may contain peroxides that can promote lipid peroxidation thus, particular attention should be paid to the purity and source of all formulation components. 

The most efficient rectal absorption enhancers, which have been studied, include surfactants, bile acids, sodium salicylate (NaSA), medium-chain glycerides (MCG), NaCIO, enamine derivatives, EDTA, and others [45 17]. Transport from the rectal epithelium primarily involves two routes, i.e., the paracellular route and the transcellular route. The paracellular transport mechanism implies that drugs diffuse through a space between epithelial cells. On the other hand, an uptake mechanism which depends on lipophilicity involves a typical transcellular transport route, and active transport for amino acids, carrier-mediated transport for (3-lactam antibiotics and dipeptides, and endocytosis are also involved in the transcellular transport system, but these transporters are unlikely to express in rectum (Figure 8.7). Table 8.3 summarizes the typical absorption enhancers in rectal routes. 

Sekine, M., et al. 1985. Improvement of bioavailability of poorly absorbed drugs. V. Effect of surfactants on the promoting effect of medium chain glyceride for the rectal absorption of (3-lactam antibiotics in rats and dogs. J Pharmacobiodyn 8 653. 

The above-mentioned artificial microbubble surfactant mixtures, and other successful mixtures found for stable microbubble production (ref. 544-546), all contain saturated glycerides (with acyl chain lengths greater than 10 carbons) combined with cholesterol and cholesterol derivatives (cf. Chapters 9 and 10, and ref. 544). As described earlier, long chain lengths in nonionic (or even unionized) surfactants are known to favor the formation of both large, rodlike micelles (as opposed to small spherical micelles) and macroemulsions (as opposed to microemulsions) (see... 

A controversial problem is still the selection of suitable enhancing agents to overcome the often limited absorption from the colon. In a survey a number of commonly used enhancers, bile salts, surfactants, fatty acids, glycerides, etc. were also reported as effective in the colon [86],... 

Water-dispersible lecithins may be produced by adding a hydrophilic surfactant (5-20%) such as polysorbate or ethoxylated monoglycerides. A mixture of lecithin and nonionic surfactants (10-20%) has utility in applications where water dispersibility is needed. Blending of partial glycerides and lecithin, followed by spray cooling, results in flaked or powdered products (33). 

In view of their solubilizing effects and also their potential to change membrane permeability, surfactants have been considered as absorption enhancers, again mostly in animals. Polyoxyethylene ethers have been shown to enhance gastric or rectal absorption of linco-mycin, penicillin, cephalosporins, and fosfomycin in rats and rabbits. In rats, colonic absorption of interferon-alpha is increased from 3 to 8% by polyoxyethylene esters of oleic acid and oleic acid glycerides. 

Typical solid lipids used are glycerides and/or fatty acids, and may constitute 30% of the formulation. These are from the same family of lipids found in parenteral nutrition emulsions, such as Intralipid, which have been successfully administered intravenously for several decades. Typical excipients are Dynasan 112, composed of short chain fatty acids, Compritol, lecithin, used as an emulsifier, and surfactants such as polysorbate 80, polaxamer 188, PVP, bile salts such as sodium glycocholate, and Span 85. Water can be replaced with oils or PEG 600 to yield dispersions which can be filled into soft gelatin capsules. 

It is in this class of compounds that the practice of semi-synthesis particularly in the industrial sphere of single or two-step operations is pre-eminent and traditional. The preparation of soap, monoglycerides, or their sulphates, the fatty alcohols, amides and numerous other functional compounds many of which are examples of nucleophilic substitution almost entirely devolve on the reactions of glycerides many of which are examples of nucleophilic substitution. The range of these tranformations particularly with reference to recent developments in surfactant chemistry has been summarised (ref. 100) and discussed with regard to edible applications (ref.101). 

---