title: Quantifying molecular partition into model systems of biomembranes: an emphasis on optical spectroscopic methods.
abstract: Optical spectroscopies have been intensively used to determine partition coefficients by a plethora of methodologies. The present review is intended to give detailed and useful information for the determination of partition coefficients and addresses several relevant aspects, namely: (i) definition and calculation of the partition coefficient between aqueous and lipidic phases; (ii) partition coefficients vs. "binding" formalisms; (iii) advantages of spectroscopic methodologies over separation techniques; (iv) formalisms for various experimental approaches based on UV-Vis absorption or fluorescence parameters (fluorescence intensity, lifetime, anisotropy and quenching); (v) experimental hints, artifacts and model limitations; and (vi) a brief survey of nonoptical techniques.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Bioquímica, Faculdade de Medicina de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Egas Moniz, 1649-028 Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: Nuno C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Prieto
authors.forename: Miguel A R B
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Castanho
mesh_terms: D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D008433:Mathematics; D008954:Models, Biological; D012996:Solutions / Q000737:chemistry; D013057:Spectrum Analysis / Q000379:methods*; D013816:Thermodynamics
chemical_list: D012996:Solutions