CHARACTERIZATION AND STABILITY STUDIES OF CATANIONIC SURFACTANT VESICLES

Abstract

Catanioinic surfactant vesicles have been explored as suitable drug carriers due to their similarities to phospholipids. Great strides have already been made in developing phospholipids for drug delivery and several liposomal drugs are already on the market. However, due to their inherent instability suitable alternatives have been explored. Herein six methods for the preparation of catanioinic surfactant vesicles containing sodium dodecylbenzylsulfonate (SDBS), cetyltrimethylammonium tosylate (CTAT), and glycoconjugate is explored. Four of the six methods were determined to produce vesicles with an average hydrodynamic radius of 76 nm. These vesicles have been shown to be to environmental changes to pH and ionic strength with no discernible difference based on preparation method.

Also discussed is work down towards the development of a multilamellar vesicle system based on the functionalized catanionic surfactant system. Larger vesicles were able to be obtained, however were unable to systematically and reproducibly create multilamellar vesicles.