Polysorbate 20

Catalog Number	ACM9005645-1
CAS	9005-64-5
Description	Emulsifying agent consisting of laurate esters of sorbitol consisting of the monoester condensed with ethylene oxide (polyoxyethylene-20 sorbitan monostearate). HLB Value: 16-17 (gives oil-in-water emulsions).
Synonyms	Polysorbate 40 (NF);Polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monolaurate;polyoxyethylene sorbitan monolaurate;Tween.(TM). 20;Polysorbate (INN)
IUPAC Name	2-[2-[3,4-Bis(2-hydroxyethoxy)oxolan-2-yl]-2-(2-hydroxyethoxy)ethoxy]ethyl dodecanoate
Molecular Weight	522.7
Molecular Formula	C32H60O10
Canonical SMILES	CCCCCCCCCCCC(=O)OCCOCC(C1C(C(CO1)OCCO)OCCO)OCCO
InChI	InChI=1S/C26H50O10/c1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-24(30)34-19-18-31-20-22(32-15-12-27)26-25(35-17-14-29)23(21-36-26)33-16-13-28/h22-23,25-29H,2-21H2,1H3
InChI Key	HMFKFHLTUCJZJO-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Melting Point	98.9 °C
Flash Point	199.4ºC
Purity	98%+
Density	1.106
Solubility	Water-soluble
Appearance	Yellow liquid, no or weak odor
Application	Creams, salves, ointments, balms, pomades, lipsticks, mascaras, glosses.
Storage	Store in a closed container at a dry place at room temperature
Complexity	507
Composition	Polysorbate-20
Covalently-Bonded Unit Count	1
Defined Atom Stereocenter Count	0
EC Number	500-018-3
Exact Mass	522.34039779
Heavy Atom Count	36
Hydrogen Bond Acceptor Count	10
Hydrogen Bond Donor Count	3
LogP	4.46260
Monoisotopic Mass	522.34039779
Physical State	Viscous liquid
Rotatable Bond Count	26
Stability	Stable. Incompatible with strong oxidizing agents.
Storage Conditions	0-6ºC
Topological Polar Surface Area	133 Ų

Knowledge & Learning Case Study Q&A

The Versatile Functions of Polysorbate 20 in Pharmaceuticals

Polysorbate 20 is one of the common excipients in pharmaceutical preparations and can be used as a solubilizer, emulsifier and stabilizer. Polysorbate 20 has been used in excipient formulations of several common vaccines, such as Hep A (Havrix), Influenza (Flublok) quadrivalent vaccine. Get more information on:

• Overview of Polysorbate 20
• Polysorbate 20 for Pharmaceuticals
• In Which Vaccines Can Polysorbate 20 Be Found?
• Polysorbate 20 for Cosmetics
• Degradation Monitoring of Polysorbate 20

The Impact of Polysorbate 20 on Volatile Fatty Acid Production During Anaerobic Fermentation of Waste Activated Sludge

Ai, X, et al. Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering, 2024, 12(5), 113476.

Polysorbate 20 (PS20), a surfactant, is explored for its potential to improve sludge solubilization, hydrolysis, and microbial activity, thereby increasingvolatile fatty acid (VFA) yield. To boost the efficiency of VFA production from waste activated sludge (WAS) through pretreatment with polysorbate 20.
Pretreatment Methodology: Twelve conical flasks, each with 450 mL of raw WAS, were divided into four groups. PS20 was added at concentrations of 0, 0.06 (CMC value), 0.1, and 0.3 g/g VS to each group. Anaerobic conditions were maintained by injecting pure N2. The flasks were shaken for 12 hours at 35 ± 1°C. Supernatant samples were collected every two hours to measure soluble chemical oxygen demand (SCOD), soluble carbohydrate, and soluble protein, along with performing three-dimensional fluorescence analysis.
Sludge Acidogenic Fermentation: The pretreated WAS and raw WAS were mixed with inoculated sludge (ratio 1:2, w/w). Four anaerobic fermentation tanks were set up, maintaining anaerobic conditions (DO < 0.1 mg/L), at 35 ± 1°C with a stirring speed of 80 rpm for 12 days. Fermented sludge samples (80 mL) were extracted every two days for analysis. Indicators analyzed included SCOD, soluble carbohydrate, soluble protein, VFAs, hydrolytic enzyme activities, and microbial community composition.
Results:
PS20 pretreatment significantly promoted sludge solubilization. Enhanced solubilization led to increased organic matter release and improved hydrolysis efficiency.
PS20 pretreatment enhanced the production of VFAs, predominantly acetic acid.
PS20 increased the activity of hydrolytic enzymes and the abundance of hydrolytic acid-producing bacteria, such as Clostridium. Improved microbial metabolism efficiency contributed to higher VFA yields.
PS20 pretreated sludge exhibited lower capillary suction time post-fermentation, indicating improved dewatering performance.

Polysorbate 20 as Additive to Prepare Fish Gelatin Film

Santos-López G, et al. Food Packaging and Shelf Life, 2023, 40, 101208.

Polysorbate 20 can be used as an additive in the preparation of fish gelatin films. The hydrophobic interaction between gelatin and polysorbate 20 affects the glass transition temperature and increases the elastic modulus, resulting in optimal UV-Vis protection. These mechanical, physical, and chemical properties, along with the components' nature, suggest that fish gelatin films containing silver nanoparticles or polysorbate 20 could serve as effective packaging materials for applications requiring UV-Vis protection.
Preparation of Film-Forming Solution
To prepare the filmogenic solution (FS), dissolve fish skin gelatin powder into deionized water at a concentration of 20% (w/v) under magnetic stirring at 40°C for 15 minutes. After the solution forms, add glycerol as a plasticizer at 30% of the gelatin's weight, then repeat the stirring and heating process.
Preparation of Films with Functionality-Modifying Agents
The films with polysorbate 20 are prepared similarly to the FS formation procedure, with an additional step. Add 2% polysorbate 20 by weight relative to the gelatin, and mix by magnetic stirring at 40°C. Remove air bubbles using sonication for 30 minutes. Cast 10 mL of the gelatin, glycerol, and polysorbate (FST) solution into Petri dishes and dry in a convection oven at 40°C for 18 hours.

The Role of Polysorbate 20 in Enhancing Oral Absorption of Digoxin

Nielsen CU, et al. International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 2016, 513(1-2), 78-87.

This study investigates the Polysorbate 20's effect on digoxin, a low-soluble P-glycoprotein (P-gp) substrate, in both in vitro and in vivo settings. The objective is to explore how polysorbate 20 modulates transporter-mediated efflux to enhance drug absorption and bioavailability.
In Vitro Transport Studies: Transport studies were conducted using MDCKII-MDR1 and Caco-2 cells, models known for expressing P-gp. 3H-digoxin was employed to track the drug's movement across cell monolayers. Both absorptive (A-B) and secretory (B-A) transports were measured at various polysorbate 20 concentrations using liquid scintillation counting.
In Vivo Pharmacokinetic Studies: Pharmacokinetic studies involved wild-type and mdr1a(-/-) Sprague Dawley rats. The rats were administered 3H-digoxin orally, with varying concentrations of polysorbate 20 (10-25% w/v). The impact on digoxin absorption was assessed by comparing the oral bioavailability between the two rat models.
In Vitro Findings: Polysorbate 20 demonstrated a concentration-dependent increase in the absorptive transport of digoxin across both MDCKII-MDR1 and Caco-2 cell monolayers. At lower concentrations, polysorbate 20 significantly reduced the secretory transport of digoxin by 50%, while higher concentrations were necessary to enhance absorptive transport.
In Vivo Findings: In wild-type Sprague Dawley rats, polysorbate 20 at 10-25% (w/v) increased the oral bioavailability of digoxin. However, in mdr1a(-/-) rats, which lack functional P-gp, polysorbate 20 did not alter digoxin absorption. This indicates that the effect of polysorbate 20 is likely mediated through inhibition of P-gp activity rather than by solubilizing digoxin.
Discussion: The data suggest that polysorbate 20 enhances digoxin absorption by modulating P-gp activity, a transporter known for limiting drug bioavailability by promoting efflux. In vitro, polysorbate 20 effectively increased the absorptive transport of digoxin, likely by inhibiting P-gp-mediated efflux. This was further supported by in vivo results, where increased digoxin bioavailability in wild-type rats, but not in mdr1a(-/-) rats, highlights the role of P-gp modulation.

Polysorbate 20 as a Nonionic Surfactant to Prepare Cationic Vesicle

Villate-Beitia I, et al. International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 2018, 550(1-2), 388-397.

Polysorbate 20 can be used in the preparation of cationic vesicles. Addition of polysorbate 20 to cationic vesicles enhances retinal gene delivery. The prepared vesicles contain the cationic lipid 1,2-di-O-octadecenyl-3-trimethylammonium propane (DOTMA) in combination with the co-lipid squalene and the ionic surfactant polysorbate 20. This formulation becomes a potential non-viral candidate for efficiently transferring specific therapeutic genes into the eye for biomedical purposes.
The method of preparation was as follows:
Preparation of Vesicles
Vesicles based on the cationic lipid DOTMA, the co-lipid squalene, and polysorbate 20 were prepared using an emulsification technique. The molar ratio used was 2 mM cationic lipid, 8 mM co-lipid, and 4 mM surfactant. Specifically, 6.70 mg of cationic lipid was gently ground with 19 µl of squalene. To this mixture, 1 ml of dichloromethane (DCM) was added and emulsified with 5 ml of an aqueous polysorbate 20 solution at varying w/v percentages to achieve the desired molar ratio.
The emulsification process involved sonication for 30 seconds. The organic solvent was then removed by evaporation with magnetic stirring for 3 hours at room temperature, resulting in the vesicle solution DST20.
Preparation of Vesicle Complexes
To prepare vesicle complexes, the appropriate volume of stock solution of pCMS-EGFP Plasmid (0.5 mg/ml) or fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-tagged pCMS-EGFP Plasmid (0.5 mg/ml) was mixed with the DST20 vesicles. The mixture was left at room temperature for 30 minutes to enhance electrostatic interactions between the cationic lipids and the DNA.

What is Polysorbate 20?

Polysorbate 20 is a polysorbate-type nonionic surfactant formed by the ethoxylation of sorbitan monolaurate.

What are some common commercial brand names for Polysorbate 20?

Some common commercial brand names for Polysorbate 20 include Kolliphor PS 20, Scattics, Alkest TW 20, Tween 20, and Kotilen-20.

What are some food applications of Polysorbate 20?

Polysorbate 20 is used as a wetting agent in flavored mouth drops such as Ice Drops.

How is Polysorbate 20 used in biological techniques and sciences?

In biological techniques and sciences, Polysorbate 20 is used as a washing agent in immunoassays, to saturate binding sites on surfaces, to stabilize proteins, and for lysing mammalian cells.

What concentration is Polysorbate 20 typically used in immunoassays?

Polysorbate 20 is typically used at dilutions of 0.05% to 0.5% v/v in immunoassays.

What is the role of Polysorbate 20 in pharmaceutical applications?

Polysorbate 20 is used as an excipient in pharmaceutical applications to stabilize emulsions and suspensions.

Can Polysorbate 20 be used as a shape directing agent?

Yes, Polysorbate 20 has been used as a shape directing agent to synthesize spheroidal magnetite nanoassemblies.

What is the molecular structure of Polysorbate 20?

The ethoxylation process leaves the molecule with 20 repeat units of polyethylene glycol, distributed across 4 different chains, leading to a commercial product containing a range of chemical species.

Our products and services are for research use only and cannot be used for any clinical purposes.

Online Inquiry

Polysorbate 20 (9005-64-5)

Send A Message