Solubilization of nutraceuticals into reverse hexagonal mesophases

The solubilization of four bioactive molecules with different polarities, in three reverse hexagonal (H_II) systems has been investigated. The three H_II systems were a typical reverse hexagonal composed of glycerol monooleate (GMO)/tricaprylin/water and two fluid hexagonal systems containing either 2.75 wt % Transcutol or ethanol as a fourth component. The phase behavior of the liquid crystalline phases in the presence of ascorbic acid, ascorbyl palmitate, D-α-tocopherol and D-α-tocopherol acetate were determined by small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and optical microscopy. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) techniques were utilized to follow modifications in the thermal behavior and in the vibrations of different functional groups upon solubilizing the bioactive molecules. The nature of each guest molecule (in both geometry and polarity) together with the different H_II structures (typical and fluids) determined the corresponding phase behavior, swelling or structural transformations and its location in the H_II structures. Ascorbic acid was found to act as a chaotropic guest molecule, localized in the water-rich core and at the interface. The AP was also a chaotropic guest molecule with its head located in the vicinity of the GMO headgroup while its tail embedded close to the surfactant tail. D-α-tocopherol and D-α-tocopherol acetate were incorporated between the GMO tails; however, the D-α-tocopherol was located closer to the interface. Once Transcutol or ethanol was present and upon guest molecule incorporation, partial migration was detected.