Diffusion in bile and its implications on detergency.
Diffusion coefficients of bile salts, lecithin, and cholesterol above the critical micelle concentration have been measured with the diaphragm cell at varying concentrations of bile salts, lecithin, and added electrolyte. The diffusion of the bile salt can be five times faster than that of the solubilized lipids. This is shown not to be an artifact of multicomponent diffusion, but a result of a different transport mechanism of the bile salt. As a consequence, the concentration of bile salt and lipids at the surface of a cholesterol gallstone can differ from those in the bile solution. The effects of this upon growth and dissolution in detergent solutions are discussed.
Bile Acids and Salts↗