Abstract:

One of the theories for the redn. of cholesterol (CH) in the blood stream by the consumption of phytosterols (PS) states that these two types of sterols compete for solubilization within the dietary mixed micelles (DMM). In this study, a fully dilutable nonionic microemulsion system was used as a model to explain a possible competitive solubilization mechanism of CH and PS mols. using an EPR technique that reveals relevant intra-micellar properties. The effect of the solubilized sterols on the structural changes occurring in the vicinity of the surfactant head groups or closer to the oil phase was examd. by controlling the pH of the environment, which influences the probe locus between the surfactant mols. The results indicate that the structure transformations in the surfactant layer closer to the vicinity of the head groups region are more pronounced than the structural changes occurring in the region between the surfactant tails closer to the oil phase, except for the oil-in-water (O/W) micelles region. The study also shows that when each of the sterols is solubilized alone, they occupy different solubilization sites within the microemulsion nanostructures, in comparison to their solubilization together. This behavior is most pronounced in 3:1 (wt. ratio) CH/PS systems. The main conclusion is that co-solubilization of these sterols leads to competitive solubilization between the surfactant tails closer to the oil phase locus, where the CH mols. are pushed toward the interface by the PS mols. This conclusion might better explain the competitive solubilization of the two sterols in the human digestive tract. [on SciFinder(R)]