Bile salts form lyotropic liquid crystals

A reinvestigation of the phase diagrams relative to some conjugated and non-conjugated bile salts in water has demonstrated the formation of lyotropic liquid crystalline phases, in contradiction with generally accepted statements. The phase behaviour is complex and the phase diagrams are unusual, compared to most surfactants and lipids. In particular, coexistence of liquid crystalline phases with crystals has been observed. The formation of liquid crystalline phases requires very long equilibration times and the thermal stability of the lyotropic phases is moderate. The observed structure is tentatively assumed to be of the reverse hexagonal type. Structural relations with currently accepted models for the organisation of bile salts into micelles and solid form have been found. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.