Apparent monomer activity of saturated fatty acids im micellar bile salt solutions measured by a polyethylene partitioning system.

Partitioning of saturated fatty acids between discs of polyethylene film and aqueous buffer has been characterized and subsequently used to measure monomer activities of fatty acids in micellar solutions of bile salt. Partitioning of fatty acids between polyethylene and buffer achieved equilibrium in about 24-48 hr. Partition coefficients for fatty acids 10:0 and 16:0 were essentially independent of concentration, as expected for true partitioning. Experiments with various pH buffers showed that only the protonated form of fatty acids 12:0 and 16:0 participated in partitioning, and the midpoints of the partition coefficients vs. pH curves were 4.5-5.0 and 6.5-7.0, respectively. Experimentally determined partition coefficients at pH 7.4 ranged from 2.03 +/- 0.09 for 9:0 to 56,100 +/- 13,850 for 17:0. The addition of each methylene group increased the partition coefficient by a factor of about 3.75, corresponding to an incremental free energy change for each methylene group of -3433 J.mole(-1) (-820 cal.mole(-1)). Monomer activities of solutions of 14:0 and 16:0 dissolved in 20 mM taurodeoxycholate were linearly dependent on the total fatty acid concentration. 1 mM 14:0 and 16:0 in 20 mM taurodeoxycholate had monomer activities of 1.3 x 10(-5) M and 5.6 x 10(-7) M, respectively. Solutions prepared with a constant concentration ratio of fatty acid to taurodeoxycholate had essentially constant monomer activities between 8 and 20 mM taurodeoxycholate. These studies support the hypothesis that fatty acid interaction with bile acid micelles is similar to a phase distribution system, so that some measurable monomer activity of fatty acid exists in equilibrium with the mass of fatty acid contained in the micelle.