TWEEN 80 is a polyethylene sorbitol ester, also know as Polysorbate
80, PEG (80) sorbitan monooleate, polyoxyethylenesorbitan monooleate.
TWEEN 80 is widely used in biochemical applications including:
solubilizing proteins, isolating nuclei from cells in culture, growing
of tubercule bacilli, and emulsifying and dispersing substances in
medicinal and food products. It has little or no activity as an
anti-bacterial agent except it has been shown to have an adverse effect
on the antibacterial effect of methyl paraben and related compounds.
Polysorbates have been reported to be incompatible with alkalis, heavy
metal salts, phenols, and tannic acid. They may reduce the activity of
many preservatives.
TWEEN 20 is a polyoxyethylene sorbitol esteris, a frequently used
member of the polysorbate family. These have been used as emulsifying
agents for the preparation of stable oil-in-water emulsions. TWEEN 20
has been used in pre-extraction of membranes to remove peripheral
proteins (used at 2% for extraction of membrane-bound proteins). It has
been used as a blocking agent for membrane based immunoassays at a
typical concentration of 0.05%. TWEEN 20 can be used for lysing
mammalian cells at a concentration of 0.05 to 0.5%.
Please refer to the protocol for dispersing polyethylene microspheres in aqueous solutions.
For Laboratory Use Only. Not for drug, household or other uses.
TWEEN 80 is miscible in water (0.1 ml/ml) yielding a clear to
slightly hazy faint yellow solution. It is reported to be miscible with
alcohol, cottonseed oil, corn oil, ethyl acetate, methanol, and toluene,
but insoluble in mineral oil. The pH of a 1% aqueous solution is
5.5-7.2.
TWEEN 20 is miscible in water (100 mg/ml), yielding a clear, yellow
solution. It is also miscible with alcohol, dioxane, and ethyl acetate;
and is practically insoluble in liquid paraffin and fixed oils.
The products are not sterile. Autoclaving of solutions is generally
not advised. Sterile filtration is more easily done if the liquid is
warmed to about 40°C and alternate portions of hot distilled water and
TWEEN 80 are poured through the 0.22 μm filter. The TWEEN 80 will blend
and remain in solution.