ABSTRACT
The results of interaction of the bile salts sodium dehydrocholate (NaDHC) and sodium cholate (NaC) with the water soluble polymer polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) studied by the methods of conductance, surface tension, viscosity and calorimetry are reported. Both of the bile salts exhibited PVP influenced self-aggregation. While NaC showed expected surface tension behaviour, NaDHC exhibited anomalous behaviour. The minimum interfacial area per molecule of the bile salt, the maximum interfacial adsorption, the free energy of micellization and the free energy of interfacial adsorption are presented for NaC. This information was not obtained for NaDHC because of its anomalous surface tension behaviour. The bile-salt-adhered PVP exhibited polyelectrolyte behaviour at PVP concentrations < 0.25 g dl-1. The enthalpy of interaction of NaC with PVP had a maximum at 0.25 mole dm-3 (delta Hi = +180 cal/mole); NaDHC produced too little heat to be detected by the calorimeter.