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Solubilisation properties of phosphatidylcholine

The solubilisation of glucose and related sugars by thoroughly-purified phosphatidylcholine (lecithin) in benzene solution has been studied. The extent of solubilisation of the sugar has been found to depend on the concentration of lecithin, the structure of the sugar and the presence of cholesterol...

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Main Author: Taylor, Patria Maria
Other Authors: Leisegana E C
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: Department of Molecular and Cell Biology 2020
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access_status_str Open Access
author Taylor, Patria Maria
author2 Leisegana E C
author_browse Leisegana E C
Taylor, Patria Maria
author_facet Leisegana E C
Taylor, Patria Maria
author_sort Taylor, Patria Maria
collection Thesis
description The solubilisation of glucose and related sugars by thoroughly-purified phosphatidylcholine (lecithin) in benzene solution has been studied. The extent of solubilisation of the sugar has been found to depend on the concentration of lecithin, the structure of the sugar and the presence of cholesterol as a co-solute. The limiting solubility of glucose was achieved at low lecithin concentrations and corresponds to a 1:1 molar ratio of glucose to lecithin. Osmometric evidence indicated that, at higher concentrations, glucose was carried within the lecithin micelle. For other suiars, solubilisation was found to depend on the size of the sugar molecule relative to that of the lecithin micelle and on the number and acidity of its free hydroxyl groups. Enthalpy and entropy of solubilisation were determined for glucose and the results are consistent with an interaction mechanism involving hydrogen bonding via the free hydroxyl groups. Cholesterol, when present as a co-solute, competed for available hydrogen bonding sites on the lecithin molecule and thus decreased the amount of glucose solubilised, but in benzene solutions lecithin exhibited a 5:1 preference for glucose hydroxyl over cholesterol hydroxyl. In aqueous-ethanolic solutions inversion of the lecithin micelle occured and accordingly cholesterol could be solubilised. As the dielectric constant of the medium was decreased by the addition of ethanol, the micellar weight decreased and the uptake of cholesterol increased. In 90% ethanol the limiting solubility of cholesterol corresponded to a 1:1 cholesterol/lecithin ratio. In 70% ethanol the uptake of cholesterol corresponded to a 1:9 cholesterol/lecithin ratio, and this ratio was independent of lecithin concentration below 7.0 mg/ml. In media of higher dielectric constant lecithin formed an opalescent sol rather than a solution and the uptake of cholesterol decreased further, but the cholesterol/lecithin molar ratio continued to be independent of the lecithin concentration of the sol. In none of the aqueous solutions was glucose found to have any effect on the uptake of cholesterol. It is possible that these results may have biological significance.
format Thesis
id oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/31945
institution University of Cape Town (South Africa)
language eng
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:41:50.128Z
license_str Not specified — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository
publishDate 2020
publishDateRange 2020
publishDateSort 2020
publisher Department of Molecular and Cell Biology
publisherStr Department of Molecular and Cell Biology
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source_str UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository
spelling oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/31945 Solubilisation properties of phosphatidylcholine Taylor, Patria Maria Leisegana E C Linder P W Solubility The solubilisation of glucose and related sugars by thoroughly-purified phosphatidylcholine (lecithin) in benzene solution has been studied. The extent of solubilisation of the sugar has been found to depend on the concentration of lecithin, the structure of the sugar and the presence of cholesterol as a co-solute. The limiting solubility of glucose was achieved at low lecithin concentrations and corresponds to a 1:1 molar ratio of glucose to lecithin. Osmometric evidence indicated that, at higher concentrations, glucose was carried within the lecithin micelle. For other suiars, solubilisation was found to depend on the size of the sugar molecule relative to that of the lecithin micelle and on the number and acidity of its free hydroxyl groups. Enthalpy and entropy of solubilisation were determined for glucose and the results are consistent with an interaction mechanism involving hydrogen bonding via the free hydroxyl groups. Cholesterol, when present as a co-solute, competed for available hydrogen bonding sites on the lecithin molecule and thus decreased the amount of glucose solubilised, but in benzene solutions lecithin exhibited a 5:1 preference for glucose hydroxyl over cholesterol hydroxyl. In aqueous-ethanolic solutions inversion of the lecithin micelle occured and accordingly cholesterol could be solubilised. As the dielectric constant of the medium was decreased by the addition of ethanol, the micellar weight decreased and the uptake of cholesterol increased. In 90% ethanol the limiting solubility of cholesterol corresponded to a 1:1 cholesterol/lecithin ratio. In 70% ethanol the uptake of cholesterol corresponded to a 1:9 cholesterol/lecithin ratio, and this ratio was independent of lecithin concentration below 7.0 mg/ml. In media of higher dielectric constant lecithin formed an opalescent sol rather than a solution and the uptake of cholesterol decreased further, but the cholesterol/lecithin molar ratio continued to be independent of the lecithin concentration of the sol. In none of the aqueous solutions was glucose found to have any effect on the uptake of cholesterol. It is possible that these results may have biological significance. 2020-05-20T09:49:19Z 2020-05-20T09:49:19Z 1966 2020-04-14T11:13:13Z Doctoral Thesis Doctoral https://hdl.handle.net/11427/31945 eng application/pdf Department of Molecular and Cell Biology Faculty of Science
spellingShingle Solubility
Taylor, Patria Maria
Solubilisation properties of phosphatidylcholine
thesis_degree_str Doctoral
title Solubilisation properties of phosphatidylcholine
title_full Solubilisation properties of phosphatidylcholine
title_fullStr Solubilisation properties of phosphatidylcholine
title_full_unstemmed Solubilisation properties of phosphatidylcholine
title_short Solubilisation properties of phosphatidylcholine
title_sort solubilisation properties of phosphatidylcholine
topic Solubility
url https://hdl.handle.net/11427/31945
work_keys_str_mv AT taylorpatriamaria solubilisationpropertiesofphosphatidylcholine