The effects of ethylene glycol and dimethyl sulfoxide on cerebroside metastability.

Aqueous dispersions of n-acyl cerebrosides are known to exhibit metastable polymorphism of the type: (Formula: see text). The involvement of hydration in this metastable polymorphism has been investigated by differential scanning calorimetric studies of aqueous palmitoylgalactocerebroside (C16:0-CER) dispersions in the presence of agents which disrupt water structure. In the presence of 50 vol% ethylene glycol or 50 vol% dimethyl sulfoxide, only a single reversible ordered----liquid-crystalline transition is observed. This single ordered----liquid-crystalline transition exhibits a smaller enthalpy and occurs at a lower temperature than the major Polymorph II----liquid-crystal transition observed for dispersions in water alone. These results indicate that metastable polymorphism in C16:0-CER is related to hydration.