Solubilization and precipitation of cholesterol in aqueous solution of bile salts and their mixtures

Solubilization of cholesterol by mixed micelles of sodium chenodeoxycholate with sodium ursodeoxycholate was investigated in carbonate-tetraborate buffer (Kolthoff) solution at pH 10 and 37°C. It was found that the mixing of the two bile salts gives a negatively synergetic effect on solubilization of cholesterol. The solubilizing power of bile salts for cholesterol was remarkably influenced with the change in mole fraction of sodium ursodeoxycholate (X_UDC).The behavior of bile salt solutions saturated with cholesterol was examined by measuring the surface tension. Two break points were observed in the curves of surface tension vs. concentration. The break points seem to correspond to a CMC in the absence of solubilized cholesterol and another CMC in the presence of solubilized cholesterol inside bile salt micelle.