Tween 80-Sodium Deoxycholate Mixed Micelles: Structural Characterization and Application in Doxorubicin Delivery

The objective of the present investigation is to develop and characterize anionic mixed micelles of two biocompatible surfactants, Tween 80 (T-80) and sodium deoxycholate (NaDC), and evaluate their potential in the delivery of doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX), a cationic anticancer drug. The mixed micelles were characterized for their microstructure, intermicellar interactions, and doxorubicin binding ability by dynamic light scattering, small angle neutron scattering (SANS), viscosity, and optical absorption measurements. Salt-induced growth of the mixed micelles at different compositions suggests that both electrostatic interaction of the anionic bile salts and steric repulsion of the ethylene oxide groups in nonionic components are affected by the presence of electrolytes. Addition of bile salt molecules to T-80 micelles suppresses the salt-induced growth of nonionic T-80 micelles. SANS studies indicate that bile salt micelles are prolate ellipsoidal in shape, and the addition of T-80 transforms them toward a spherical shape. The anionic bile salt can successfully bind to the cationic drug doxorubicin. The in vitro cytotoxicity studies in various cancer cell lines revealed that DOX-loaded micelles have greater in vitro anticancer activity as compared to DOX solution, indicating their potential in pharmaceutical applications.