Solubilization Capabilities of Some Cationic, Anionic, and Nonionic Surfactants toward the Poorly Water-Soluble Antibiotic Drug Erythromycin

Surfactants can be used to increase the solubility of poorly soluble drugs in water and to increase drug bioavailability. In this article, solubilization of macrolide antibiotic erythromycin is investigated by employing spectrophotometry and tensiometry in micellar solutions of nonionic (Brij56, Brij58, Brij35, Brij30), cationic (cetyltrimethylamonium bromide, CTAB; tetradecyltrimethylammonium bromide, TTAB; dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide, DTAB), and anionic (sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate, SDBS; sodium dodecylsulfate, SDS) surfactants and then compared. The results showed that irrespective of the surfactant type, the solubility of erythromycin increases linearly with increasing surfactant concentration, as a consequence of association between the drug and micelles. Solubilization capacity has been quantified in terms of molar solubilization ratio (Rm,S), micelle−water partition coefficient (KM), binding constant (K1) between solubilizate monomer and vacant micelle, and the free energy of solubilization...