Ultrathin films to investigate the interaction of nitrofurantoin with phospholipids

Abstract The molecular properties of the antibiotic nitrofurantoin at liquid interfaces were correlated with effects observed in cellular membrane models, represented by 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine Langmuir monolayers. Nitrofurantoin adsorbs at the films, keeps their compressibility, and stabilizes them, as characterized by tensiometry. Brewster Angle Microscopy and infrared spectroscopy showed that nitrofurantoin induces the formation of aggregates and affects the lipid hydrophilic and hydrophobic chemical environments. Consequently, nitrofurantoin disturbs the cell membrane models, affecting some of their physicochemical properties, including thermodynamic, rheological, morphological, and structural. These results can help understand at the molecular level interactions between the drug and lipidic biological surfaces.