Comparative evaluation of cytotoxicity and phototoxicity of mono and diacylglycerol amino acid-based surfactants

Extensive efforts have been made, recently, to find surfactants with lower irritancy potential than those presently commercially employed in pharmaceutical and cosmetic preparations. Cytotoxic and phototoxic effects of novel mono and diacylglycerol amino acid-based surfactants (glutamic acid, or arginine) were evaluated.All tested surfactants showed a clear concentration–response relationship to two immortalized cell lines, murine fibroblast cell line, 3T3, and one human keratinocyte cell line, HaCaT, demonstrated by and decrease of NR uptake. Concentrations resulting in 50% inhibition of NR uptake (IC₅₀) range from 30 to 300 μg mL⁻¹.The potential phototoxicity which could result in irritant products, was determined by modulated cytotoxicity via the resazurin reduction to resorufin and neutral red uptake (NRU) endpoints. Surfactants with two chains showed, in general, less cytotoxic but higher phototoxic effect than surfactants with only one chain.