Interaction of cationic dye/surfactants with Klebsiella K18 capsular polysaccharides: Physico-chemical studies

Physico-chemical studies on the interaction of capsular polysaccharide (SPS) isolated from Klebsiella K18, with cationic dyes and surfactants have been reported. SPS is an integral component of gram-negative bacteria and having glucuronic acid as the potential anionic site, induced strong metachromasy (blue shift ∼ 110 nm) in the cationic dye pinacyanol chloride (PCYN). Reversal of metachromasy was observed upon addition of co-solvents which provides a qualitative measurement of stability and nature of metachromatic compound associated with PCYN–SPS interaction. Thermodynamic parameters such as association constant, changes in free energy, enthalpy and entropy of dye–polymer interaction, were evaluated which revealed the nature of interaction. Studies on fluorescence quenching of acridine orange (AO) was also performed. The interaction of SPS with cationic and cationic–non-ionic mixed surfactant systems have been studied by turbidimetry, spectrophotometry, spectrofluorometry and viscosity measurements. The studies could provide an understanding on the effects of the surfactants on binding with the polymer. The binding was found to be electrostatic in origin and also hydrophobic in nature to a certain extent.