Role of surfactants in clouding phenomenon of imipramine hydrochloride

The clouding behavior of tricyclic antidepressant drug imipramine hydrochloride (IMP) in aqueous solution has been studied in presence of surfactants. A pH increase in the presence as well as in the absence of surfactants decreased the CP. Drug molecules become neutral at high pH and therefore head–head repulsion decreases which lead to CP decrease. Addition of non-ionic and cationic surfactants increased the CP whereas anionic surfactants showed a peaked profile. Effect of CTAB/TX-100 at different fixed drug concentrations showed that at all surfactant concentrations the CP value was higher for higher drug concentrations. However, variation of pH produced opposite effect: CP at all CTAB/TX-100 concentrations decreased with increasing pH. All results are interpreted in terms of increase in hydrophobicity or hydrophilicity of micelles on addition of surfactants.