Detergents

1,2-Dipalmitoyl-rac-glycero-3-phosphocholine is a phospholipid with two palmitic acids and is the racemic mixture of Dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (also known as Colfosceril palmitate or DPPC). The phosphocholine head is sensitive to electric charges at the membrane surface when bound to pure phospholipids. When added to a solution containing charged ions, this sensitivity can shift the nitrogen cation away from a lack of positive charge or towards a positive charge in solution. In a research environment, it is useful in studying changes of biological membranes and liposomes. Because of its ability to form simple phospholipid bilayers, it is useful in computer modeling of bilayers in dynamic situations. Modeling can also be extended to interactions between DPPC and other biologically active molecules (like pharmaceuticals) as an analog for the same naturally occurring process. It is also useful in the formation of reconstituted HDL particles.

Cetylpyridinium chloride is a cationic quaternary ammonium compound that has been used to eliminate oral pathogens. It has shown a high degree of efficacy towards gram-positive, gram-negative bacteria and some pathogenic fungi.

Cetylpyridinium chloride functions as a surfactant, reducing the surface tension between pathogenic membranes and their environments. Greater interaction between the membrane and environment disrupts the cell membrane and osmoregulation. Compromising the membrane ultimately results in cell death.

CHAPS, also known as ((3-cholamidopropyl)dimethylammonio)-1-propanesulfonate, is a zwitterionic surfactant primarily used to solubilize membrane proteins and other macromolecules.

Oftentimes, mild detergents are used in cell lysis applications by interfering with membrane interactions.

Chlorhexidine is a cationic polybisbiguanide used as a detergent as well as a bactericidal, anti-viral and antifungal agent. It has been used against an array of oral pathogens, with a high effectiveness toward gram-negative bacteria.

Chlorhexidine, when placed into physiological pH, dissociates into its cationic form and binds to the negatively charged bacterial wall. This binding will cause cytosolic leakage at low concentrations and lytic effects at high chlorohexidine concentrations. However, chlorhexidine activity can be halted upon interaction with anionic compounds.

Chlorhexidine diacetate salt is a diacetate derivative of a cationic polybisbiguanide that has bactericidal, anti-fungal and anti-viral activity. It has also been used for in vivo pharmacokinetic research to investigate drug release rates.

Chlorhexidine, when placed into physiological pH, dissociates into its cationic form and binds to the negatively charged bacterial wall. This binding will cause cytosolic leakage at low concentrations and lytic effects at high chlorohexidine concentrations. However, chlorhexidine activity can be halted upon interaction with anionic compounds.

Chlorhexidine HCl is the cationic salt form of chlorhexidine, a bactericidal detergent. Chlorhexidine HCl has strong bactericidal activity and is used for in vitro bactericidal assays as a positive control.

The compound functions as a bactericidal agent by interacting with the negatively charged bacterial cell wall. Contact of the cationic salt with the cell wall causes cytosolic leakage at low chlorohexidine HCl concentrations and cell lysis at higher concentrations. Duration of antibacterial effects has been shown to be enhanced by incorporating chlorhexidine HCl into human albumin microspheres. This lengthened antibacterial activity against Escheria coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Glycochenodeoxycholic acid (GCDC) is a bile salt that is used as an anionic detergent to solubilize lipids. In other applications GCDC can be used to induce hepatocyte apoptosis and inhibit calcium phosphate precipitation in vitro. GCDC is also used in applications analyzing the damage done to DNA by other bile acids.

Hexadecylpyridinium bromide is a cationic surfactant capable of bactericidal activity and has been used for ion exchange. As a bactericidal agent, it reduces the surface tension between pathogenic membranes and their environments. This interaction disrupts membrane integrity and osmoregulation, leading to cell lysis.

Hexadecylpyridinium bromide has also been shown to quickly and efficiently remove metal ions from solutions. The compound removes cations from solution through a cation/surfactant complex which precipitates from an aqueous phase into an organic phase and can subsequently be extracted. Hexadecylpyridinium bromide is an effective ion exchange agent for extracting DNA and proteins.

The primary attribute of DDM is its capability to extract hydrophobic proteins while maintaining the solution-phase protein conformation. DDM also allows the protein to be reformed following denaturization. Most membrane-bound proteins are α-helix bundles, which are less robust to changes in their cellular environment. DDM offers a detergent capable of preserving these proteins. This is in contrast to other, harsher ionic detergents that destabilize and permanently denature α-helical membrane-bound proteins. DDM has been used to solubilize the multidrug-transporter protein, EmrE, as well as the nucleoside-specific porin protein, Tsx.

Octylglucoside is a nonionic, mild detergent used to isolate membrane proteins in the native state. It can easily be removed during final extractions by dialysis.

Characteristics that contribute to this detergent’s usefulness are its water solubility, chemical structure and small-sized micelles.

Octylglucoside also provides higher resolution of proteins in 2D electrophoresis.

Octylthioglucoside is a nonionic detergent that has been used to isolate membrane proteins without inactivation. This product is effective in a variety of protein solubilization and cell lysis processes. And detergents of this nature are ideal when studying the conformation and structure of proteins because the secondary and tertiary structures remain intact.

Compared to octylglucoside, octylthioglycoside is more stable. And it is stable in aqueous solution and easily removed by dialysis. This product is intended for use as a detergent to solubilize membrane-bound proteins in their native state.

Palmitoyl-DL-carnitine is a long chain fatty acid derivative of carnitine which helps the transfer of long-chain fatty acids across mitochondrial membranes. Because of this characteristic, Palmitoyl-DL-carnitine is useful in helping increase the drug absorption across gastrointestinal cells. Palmitoyl-DL-carnitine also reduces efficacy and increases duration of Ca 2+ dependent events in cells that use calcium signals. When exposed to Carnitine O-palmitoyltransferase, it is reduced to Palmitoyl coenzyme A which is then used in the carnitine shuttle system to transfer acyl-coenzyme A molecules into the mitochondria for β-oxidation.

Tridecyl b-D-maltopyranoside is a disaccharide derivative and glycoside which is applied as a non-ionic detergent and surfactant. In studies on membrane protein crystallization, Tridecyl b-D-maltopyranoside proved to be an effective detergent for maintaining protein solubility but necessitates the presence of salt. Tridecyl b-D-maltopyranoside has a longer chain length than Decyl β-D-maltopyranoside, another detergent used on membrane protein crystallization. Decyl β-D-maltopyranoside has been used in micellar electrokinetic chromatography to study enantiomer separation of drugs.