The Influence of Hofmeister Series Ions on Hyaluronan Swelling and Viscosity

The dissolution of hyaluronan in water leads to its degradation, and as a result its molecular weight decreases. The degradation of hyaluronan is mainly influenced by temperature, solution composition, and also its pH. This study describes the influence of Hofmeister series ions on hyaluronan behaviour and hyaluronan film swelling by solutions of these ions. It was found that Hofmeister ions show lyotropic effects influencing the entanglement of hyaluronan coils and their expansion from solid polymer films into swollen gel state. The hydrophobic and hydrophilic interactions in the structure of hyaluronan macromolecules are represented by the mutual diffusion coefficient D(c), the mean mutual diffusion coefficient D(s), the expansion work of coil swelling RA(δ,s), the activation enthalpy of diffusion connected with swelling H(D,s) and kinematic viscosity of hyaluronan-ions solutions ν.