Abstract:

The structures and properties of lecithin/amino acid/H2O micelle and liposome systems were studied using electrical capacitance. The critical micellar concentration and the liposome formation concentration of lecithin can be obtained from the relation of system capacitance with lecithin's concentration. With an increase in lecithin concentration, the capacitance increases and lecithin aggregates from the micelles to liposomes. With the increase of amino acids, the radii of the micelles and liposomes increase but the capacitance decreases. Amino acids can promote micelle and liposome formation as well as decrease the critical micellar concentration and the formation concentration. The sequence of amino acid influence on the capacitance is as follows: histidine>tryptophan>>glycine.

Key words: Micelle, Capacitance, Liposome, Lecithin, Amino acid