Sodium cholate sorption on cationic dextran hydrogel microspheres. 1. Influence of the chemical structure of functional groups

New hydrogel microspheres based on crosslinked dextran, containing pendant quaternary ammonium groups with different chemical structures have been synthesized and tested as possible bile acid sorbents The in vitro sodium cholate sorption by these hydrogels has been followed in the absence or in the presence of competing anions The sorption results have indicated a strong influence of the chemical structure of functional groups on both the affinity and selectivity towards cholate ions. The best sorption performances were obtained with hydrogels having in the structure of functional groups an alkyl substituent with the length higher than C(8).