Mixed Langmuir monolayers of cholesterol and `essential' fatty acids

Langmuir monolayers of cholesterol and various fatty acids, such as stearic, oleic, linoleic, α-linolenic, and arachidonic acids, spread at the air/water interface are investigated. The system of cholesterol and stearic acid is found to be immiscible, with only one collapse, occurring at the same surface pressure for all composition range. However, surface pressure (π) – area (A) isotherms of cholesterol/unsaturated fatty acids show a characteristic course with two collapse states. The pressure of the first collapse varies with the proportion of the components in the mixture, while the second collapse, occurring at the surface pressure characteristic of cholesterol alone, is independent of mole fraction of the investigated fatty acid. The application of the surface phase rule indicates that the unsaturated fatty acids/cholesterol mixtures are miscible up to the surface pressure corresponding to the first collapse. Negative values of the excess free energy of mixing in all composition ranges prove that the mixtures are stable. The interactions existing in mixtures of cholesterol and unsaturated fatty acids possessing even numbers of double bonds are strongest in the lower region of fatty acid proportion, and the results are consistent with the minimum values of the excess free energy of mixing, indicating the most stable mixtures. For cholesterol and unsaturated fatty acids with odd numbers of double bonds the behavior is different, and the strongest interactions occur in both low and high regions of mole fraction of an acid. Received: 2 May 2000 Accepted: 26 October 2000     

Quantification of fatty acids as methyl esters and phospholipids in cheese samples after separation of triacylglycerides and phospholipids

Determination of the individual fatty acid composition of neutral- and phospholipids as well as the phospholipid content of dairy food and other foodstuffs are important tasks in life sciences. For these purposes, a method was developed for the separation of lipids (standards of triolein and diacylphosphatidylcholines as well as three cheese samples) by solid-phase extraction using a self-packed column filled with partly deactivated silica. Non-halogenated solvents were used for the elution of the lipid classes. Cyclohexane/ethyl acetate (1:1, v/v) served for the elution of neutral lipids, while polar lipids were eluted with three solvents (ethyl acetate/methanol, methanol, and methanol/water) into one fraction. The separated lipid fractions were transesterified and the individual fatty acids were quantified by using gas chromatography coupled to electron ionization mass spectrometry (GC/EI-MS) in the selected ion monitoring (SIM) mode. The recovery rate for standard phosphatidylcholines was ∼90% and cross-contamination from neutral lipids was negligible. The method was applied to cheese samples. Quantitative amounts of individual fatty acids in the phospholipid fraction were <0.002-0.29% of total lipids from camembert, <0.002-0.12% of total lipids from mozzarella, and <0.002-0.18% of total lipids in a goat cream cheese. Differences in the fatty acid pattern of neutral and polar lipids were detected. The quantity of the fatty acids determined in the phospholipid fraction was divided by the factor 0.7 in order to convert the fatty acid content into the phospholipid content of the cheese samples. This factor is based on the contribution of 16:0 to dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC). The resulting DPPC equivalents (DPPC_eq) were found to be representative for the average contribution of fatty acids to all classes of phospholipids in dairy products. Using this approach, the phospholipid content of lipids from mozzarella, camembert, and goat cream cheese was 0.60%, 1.42% and 0.79%, respectively.     

Enzymatic hydrolysis reaction of phospholipids in monolayers

The hydrolysis reaction of , and , -dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) catalized by bee venom phospholipase A₂ was studied in spreading monolayer at the water/air interface. DPPC and the hydrolysis products, palmitic acid and -lysophosphatidylcholine, palmitoyl were characterized at the interface by means of surface pressure, surface potential and ellipsometric measurements. Furthermore, mixed monolayers of reagents and products were investigated to ascertain their miscibility. The results show that the hydrolysis reaction can be followed by the decrease of surface pressure with time on subphases containing β-cyclodextrin, a well-known complexing agent of many amphiphilic compounds. The order of the reaction, the kinetic constant and other kinetic parameters are deduced.     

兔骨骼肌肌质网磷脂组分及脂肪酸的分析

 分析了兔骨骼肌肌质网磷脂的组成及摩尔分数,并用气相色谱法对两种主要磷脂的脂肪酸组成及摩尔分数进行了测定。     

Polymorphic domains in monolayers of isomeric triple-chain phospholipids

Monolayers of two isomeric branched chain phosphatidyl cholines at the air/water interface have been studied by means of fluorescence microscopy. The lipids differ in the position of the branched chain at the glycerol backbone and carry three chains per headgroup of almost equal length. Most qualitative features of the compression isotherms are similar except a difference of 4 Ų/molecule in the minimum molecular area at high lateral pressures. This indicates a more condensed solid phase of compound C2 and is also reflected in the shapes of domains observed in the LE/LC phase coexistence range: domains with sharp edges and a mostly hexagonal shape are formed. On the other hand, the compound C1 with a larger limiting molecular area exhibits a smooth domain boundary and a shape instability as theoretically predicted.     

Position specificity of the fatty acids in the phospholipids of the cotton plant variety 108-F

Summary It has been shown by enzymatic hydrolysis with phospholipase A that it is mainly unsaturated fatty acids that are esterified in positions of the PC, PE, and PI molecules (93.2, 86.2, and 76.8%, respectively), which is normal for phospholipids.From the results on the position distribution of the fatty acids we have calculated the possible molecular compositions of the PCs, PEs, and PIs.Institute of the Chemistry of Plant Substances, Academy of Sciences of the Uzbek SSR, Tashkent. Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 5, pp. 589–590, September–October, 1976.     

Position specificity of the fatty acids in the phospholipids of the cotton plant variety 108-F

It has been shown by enzymatic hydrolysis with phospholipase A that it is mainly unsaturated fatty acids that are esterified in positions of the PC, PE, and PI molecules (93.2, 86.2, and 76.8%, respectively), which is normal for phospholipids. From the results on the position distribution of the fatty acids we have calculated the possible molecular compositions of the PCs, PEs, and PIs.     

Anisotropic aggregation and phase transition in Langmuir monolayers of methyl/ethyl esters of 2,3-dihydroxy fatty acids

We studied interfacial properties of a series of methyl and ethyl esters of enantioenriched syn-2,3-dihydroxy fatty acids with different chain lengths at the air-water interface, using a Langmuir type film balance and a Brewster angle microscope (BAM). After analyzing their surface pressure (Pi)-area (A) isotherms, we inferred that these molecules existed as an E conformation in the liquid-expanded (LE) phase of monolayers, and the E conformation of molecules changed into a Z conformation during the LE-LC transition in a monolayer. BAM images evidenced the formation of elongated LC aggregates. This is possibly induced by the intermolecular hydrogen bonds, leading to the anisotropic growth of LC domains, on the basis of the FT-IR spectroscopy data. The enthalpy change of the LE-LC phase transition is considered to result from the three types of intermolecular interactions at the air-water interface during compression of these amphiphiles. These findings are discussed in terms of various physical factors that influenced intermolecular interactions and macroscopic aggregations of these amphiphiles.     

Miscibility of phospholipids and cholesteryl acetate in mixed monolayers on aqueous surfaces

Summary The surface pressure — area per molecule curves (F A curves) of mixed monolayers of phosphatidyl serine (PS) and cholesteryl acetate (CA), and those of dimyristoyl phosphatidyl choline (DMPC) and CA were measured on aqueous surfaces. ThoseF — A curves showed kink points, which were considered to be the collapse point of the monolayers. Then, the collapse pressure was determined as the surface pressure at the collapse points. On the basis of the phase diagrams, drawn by plotting the measured values of the collapse pressure as a function of the composition, the miscibility of the lipids in the mixed monolayers was discussed. Thus, it has been concluded that PS and CA, and also DMPC and CA are completely miscible in the monolayers on water. On the other hand, it has been also found that, on aqueous solutions of 100 mM CaCl₂, PS and CA are immiscible in the monolayers because of the aggregation of PS molecules induced by Cat²⁺.     

The structure of the phospholipids of the cotton plant and the position specificity of their fatty acids

Summary 1. The structure of the main groups of phospholipids isolated from the seed kernels of the thin-fibered cotton plant of variety S-6029 has been studied.2. The fatty-acid compositions and the position distributions of the fatty acids have been determined, and from the results the possible molecular compositions of the phosphatidylcholines, phosphatidylethanolamines, and phosphatidylinositols have been calculated.Institute of the Chemistry of Plant Substances, Academy of Sciences of the Uzbek SSR, Tashkent. Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedimenii, No. 1, pp. 22–26, January–February, 1976.     

The interaction of double-charged metal ions with monolayers and bilayers of phospholipids

Electrophoretic mobilities of hexadecane/water emulsions containing dimyristoyl-phosphatidylcholine (DMPC) or egg yolk lecithin (EYL) monolayers at the interface and those of liposomes prepared from the same lipids were measured as functions of the concentrations of Ca²⁺, Mn²⁺, Cu²⁺, and Ni²⁺ cations in the aqueous phase. The surface potentials, surface charge densities (σ), and the Langmuir adsorption isotherms for various distances from the charged surface to the slip plane (d) were calculated on the basis of the Gouy-Chapman theory for 1∶2 electrolytes and the values of ζ-potentials. The binding constants (K) and parametersd were determined under the assumption that the maximum σ values correspond to one ion per phospholipid molecule at the interface. In the case of DMPC, the ion binding constants (L mol⁻¹) at 25°C are 230 and 87 for Ca²⁺, 31.5 and 21 for Mn²⁺, 11 and 6 for Cu²⁺, and 7.5 and 5.3 for Ni²⁺ in liposomes and emulsions, respectively. The affinities of Cu²⁺ and Ni²⁺ ions for EYL monolayers and bilayers are lower than those for DMPC mono- and bilayers. Thed parameters for all ions are smaller than the radii of the hydrated ions. In the case of Ca²⁺, Cu²⁺, and Ni²⁺, thed values for mono- and bilayers are different. The differences in K values between monolayers and bilayers as well as those between DMPC and EYL mono- and bilayers can be attributed to the differences in the local environment and orientation of the interfacial phosphate groups in these systems. Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 12, pp. 2490–2495, December, 1998.     

Coexistence of phases in monolayers of branched-chain phospholipids investigated by scanning force microscopy

The coexistence of phases in multiple-chain phospholipid monolayers is revealed after both horizontal (‘scooping up’ or Langmuir–Schaefer–Kato technique) and vertical (Langmuir–Blodgett technique (LB)) transfer onto mica substrates by means of scanning force microscopy (SFM) in tapping and contact mode experiments. Both methods show similar surface topography features. Brewster angle microscopy (BAM) experiments display the formation of round-shaped and dendritic domains in the coexistence region between liquid-condensed (LC) and liquid-expanded (LE) phases in monolayers at the air/water-interface. Higher resolution SFM on samples transferred from this region indicate the presence of defects inside the larger domains and the formation of smaller aggregates and stripes in the surrounding background. The measurements produce direct proof of a substrate-mediated condensation during/after the transfer. The main difference between the two dipping modes used is the elongation of the small aggregates in the case of vertical transfer. Horizontal deposition appears to better preserve shape and size of the domains.