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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2010 May 1.
Published in final edited form as: Biochim Biophys Acta. 2009 Jan 27;1788(5):1033–1043. doi: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2009.01.006

Table 1.

Stenger et. al.

Albumin Chitosan Survanta
Molecular Weight 66,430 120,000a 691b
Charge/Molecule −2c 509d −0.1e
Chitosan: Survanta + Albumin: Charge Ratio
Chitosan Concentration, mg/mL 0.0005 0.005 0.05 0.5
n+/n− (Bulk)f 3.46 × 10−2 0.346 3.46 34.6
n+/n− (Interface)g 2.69 26.9 2.69 × 102 2.69 × 103
a

Average molecular weight of chitosan, 50–190 kDa

b

Calculated molecular weight for DPPC:POPG:PA (70:20:10 wt.), a lipid mixture similar in composition to Survanta

c

Albumin charge/molecule at pH 5.5 in 150 mM NaCl [75]

d

Calculated based on chitosan with average molecular weight of 120,000 with 80% of the monomers containing an amine group with pKa of 6.5 at a pH of 5.5

e

Based on published Survanta composition showing ~10% anionic lipids [46]

f

The charge ratio, n+/n−, of the cationic molecules (chitosan): anionic molecules (albumin and Survanta). For n+/n− bulk, the bulk concentrations of chitosan, albumin (2 mg/mL) and Survanta (800 μg/150 mL) are used.

g

For n+/n− interface, the interfacial concentration of albumin (5 mg/m2 [64]) and Survanta (800 μg/130 m2) are compared with the bulk chitosan concentration.

For chitosan concentrations of 0.0005 and 0.005 mg/mL, the bulk and interfacial charge ratios bracket an estimate for n+/n− = 1 indicating charge neutralization occurs over this concentration range.