The relationship between the chain length of non-ionic surfactants and their hemolytic action on human erythrocytes.

The hemolytic action of monodisperse, non-ionic surfactants based on lysine containing two hydrophobic chains and one polyoxyethylene glycol chain of different length was studied in order to identify possible structure-activity relationships. In the series of the two polyoxyethylene glycol unit compound, the surfactant with a total of 18 carbon atoms in the hydrophobic chains was the most hemolytic. In the series the of four polyoxyethylene glycol unit compound, hemolytic activity decreases when the number of carbon atoms in the hydrophobic chain was increased. Increasing the length of the polyoxyethylene glycol chain in general reduces the hemolytic action of the surfactant.