Cationic Surfactants: Self-Assembly, Structure-Activity Correlation and Their Biological Applications

Abstract

The development of biotechnological protocols based on cationic surfactants is a modern trend focusing on the fabrication of antimicrobial and bioimaging agents, supramolecular catalysts, stabilizers of nanoparticles, and especially drug and gene nanocarriers. The main emphasis given to the design of novel ecologically friendly and biocompatible cationic surfactants makes it possible to avoid the drawbacks of nanoformulations preventing their entry to clinical trials. To solve the problem of toxicity various ways are proposed, including the use of mixed composition with nontoxic nonionic surfactants and/or hydrotropic agents, design of amphiphilic compounds bearing natural or cleavable fragments. Essential advantages of cationic surfactants are the structural diversity of their head groups allowing of chemical modification and introduction of desirable moiety to answer the green chemistry criteria. The latter can be exemplified by the design of novel families of ecological friendly cleavable surfactants, with improved biodegradability, amphiphiles with natural fragments, and geminis with low aggregation threshold. Importantly, the development of amphiphilic nanocarriers for drug delivery allows understanding the correlation between the chemical structure of surfactants, their aggregation behavior, and their functional activity. This review focuses on several aspects related to the synthesis of innovative cationic surfactants and their broad biological applications including antimicrobial activity, solubilization of hydrophobic drugs, complexation with DNA, and catalytic effect toward important biochemical reaction.

Perillaldehyde 1,2-epoxide Loaded SLN-Tailored mAb: Production, Physicochemical Characterization and In Vitro Cytotoxicity Profile in MCF-7 Cell Lines

“…Nanoparticles have partially solved this limitation, by reducing the systemic distribution of anticancer drugs by passive targeting. Cationic nanoparticles with a net positive surface charge have been proposed to further enhance cellular interaction and increase the cellular uptake of the loaded drug [1][2][3][4][5][6]. Site-specific delivery can be achieved via active targeting by surface modifying, such as with antibodies, aptamers and other targeting moieties (e.g., transferrin, folate) tailored to specific receptors [7,8].…”

Self‐Assembled Quaternary Ammonium‐Containing Comb‐Like Polyelectrolytes for the Hydrolysis of Organophosphorous Esters: Effect of Head Groups and Counter‐Ions

“…Self-assembled systems have wide applications in biomimetic and sensor system technologies, protective coatings, nanocontainers. [1][2][3][4] Possible applications of self-assemblies results from self-organization in solution and at interfaces and their ability to solubilize organic compounds. One of perspective trends of self-assemblies is their use for studies of different types of organic reactions.…”

“…[16] Catalytic efficacy is determined by optimization of molecular structure (charge and structure of amphiphilic molecule head group and chain length [17][18][19] ), concentration and type of self-assemblies (micelles, rods, vesicles etc.). [20][21][22][23] Cationic surfactants are the most promising due to the charge of head group for biological applications, [3] environmental issues (extractants and flocculants) [24][25][26] and as catalysts in nucleophilic substitution reaction for hydrolysis of ester bonds. [17,27,28] Reactions of nucleophilic substitution in phosphorus esters play an important role in biological processes.…”

Lipoaminoacids Enzyme-Based Production and Application as Gene Delivery Vectors

“…Besides the detergent-like characteristics, recent studies have associated modifications on biosurfactants structures to the improvement of drug and gene delivery, highlighting the possible solutions for biologic therapies (e.g., gene therapy, immunotherapy). Many LAAs are known to have antimicrobial, antiviral [1] or antitumor activity, due to the ability to modulate the immune system or inhibit some enzymes and toxins [2,3]. LAAs offer the additional advantage due to the ability to modulate the immune system or inhibit some enzymes and toxins [2,3].…”

“…Many LAAs are known to have antimicrobial, antiviral [1] or antitumor activity, due to the ability to modulate the immune system or inhibit some enzymes and toxins [2,3]. LAAs offer the additional advantage due to the ability to modulate the immune system or inhibit some enzymes and toxins [2,3]. LAAs offer the additional advantage of being amenable to production by biocatalysis in alternative to chemical synthesis and have, thus, become very attractive from both biomedical and the environmental perspectives.…”