INFLUENCE OF SURFACTANTS UPON PROTEIN PEPTIDE ADSORPTION TO GLASS ANDPOLYPROPYLENE

This paper explores the use of surfactants as a pharmaceutical excipie nt to reduce adsorptive lasses of protein/peptide drugs. The predomina nt adsorption mechanism for protein/peptide drugs is shown to change w ith the surface and conditions of study. In the presence of surfactant s, where the surfactant-surface interaction is greater than the surfac e-protein/peptide interaction, drug adsorption is reduced and/or elimi nated. Anionic (sodium dodecyl sulfate), cationic (dodecyltrimethylamm onium chloride and benzalkonium chloride) and nonionic surfactants (Po lysorbate 20 and Poloxamer 188) are evaluated as possible protein/pept ide adsorption controlling excipients. For protein/peptide adsorption onto glass, where an electrostatic interaction predominates, only the most hydrophobic surfactants (Polysorbate 20 and benzalkonium chloride ) were significantly effective. Protein/peptide adsorption to polyprop ylene, where a hydrophobic/dehydration mechanism predominates, allows additional surface-active agents to be effective in reducing drug adso rption.