Relationship of Micellar Size to Bile Salt Solubilization

Bile salt solubilization plays an important role in gallstone dissolution and cholesterol solubilization. This paper presents a method of using micellar size, a measurable and controllable factor, to predict the solubilization in bile salt solution. Light scattering and conductance measurement were used in the experiments. Sodium taurodeoxycholate (NaTDC) and linoleic acid were used for this study, the micellar size was changed by adding NaCl, CaCl₂ and urea in the bile salt solution. The solubilization values were measured as a function of micellar size at different bile salt and additive concentrations. The oil solubilization rate and the equilibrium solubilization capacity increase with the increase of micellar size to a maximum and then decrease. The change of solubilization rate with micellar size for NaTDC follows a new theoiy proposed for ordinary surfactants. The correlations given in this paper should provide new guidance for accelerating gallstone dissolution and cholesterol solubilization.