Relationship between polysorbate 80 solubilization descriptors and octanol-water partition coefficients of drugs.

The molar solubilization capacities (kappa) and the molar micelle-water partition coefficients (K(M)(N)) in Polysorbate 80 of several drugs (including barbiturates, steroids, and benzoic acid derivatives) are related to their log octanol-water partition coefficients (logP). Both kappa and K(M)(N) values were calculated from solubility versus Polysorbate 80 concentration profiles, which were either experimentally determined or obtained from the literature. There is a linear relationship between logP of the tested compounds and the logarithm of the molar micelle-water partition coefficient (logK(M)(N)). On the other hand molar solubilization capacities are nearly independent of logP. It is shown that the ability of Polysorbate 80 to solubilize a drug can be predicted from its logP value.