Determining the cytotoxicity of catanionic
surfactant mixtures on HeLa Cells,
Nina Vlachy, Didier Touraud, Jörg Heilmann, and Werner Kunz
Colloids and Surfaces, B: Biointerfaces 70(2) (2009),
278-280.
Abstract
The cytotoxicity of commonly used synthetic surfactants and catanionic mixts.
of those was evaluated using MTT on HeLa cells. The 50% inhibition concn.
(IC50) for MTT redn. was calcd. The effect on chain length increase and
inclusion of polyoxyethylene groups on the toxicity was tested on single
surfactant systems. A general trend of increasing toxicity with increasing
chain length and the presence of polyoxyethylene groups was obsd. The measured
IC50 values of catanionic systems lie between those of participating
surfactants. The increase in toxicity as the cationic surfactant is added to
the anionic one is however not linear. A steep decrease of the IC50 values (and
therefore increase in the toxic properties) is obsd. immediately already at low
concns. of the cationic surfactants. This behavior is analogous to the enzyme
activity in catanionic microemulsions. |
