Micelle (null)

A **micelle** is a colloidal aggregate of amphipathic molecules—such as bile salts or phospholipids—that spontaneously forms in aqueous environments when the concentration of these molecules exceeds the critical micelle concentration[1][2][3][8]. In the context of the intestine, **intestinal micelles** refer to small, spherical structures formed by bile salts and phospholipids during the digestion of dietary fats[2][5]. Their hydrophilic "head" groups face outward toward water, while their hydrophobic "tail" groups aggregate inward, trapping insoluble lipid digestion products like fatty acids and monoglycerides in the core[1][3][7]. Micelles are essential not as discrete molecular drug targets but as supramolecular carriers; they carry hydrophobic molecules across the unstirred water layer of the intestinal lumen, enabling their absorption by enterocytes (intestinal epithelial cells)[4][5][6]. Thus, **micelles themselves are not receptors, enzymes, transporters, or typical drug targets, but are physical structures vital for lipid absorption**. They are about 200 times smaller than emulsion droplets and can efficiently deliver their lipid contents for absorption[6]. The process of micelle formation is termed *micellization*, and it is a physical phenomenon, not controlled by a single gene or protein target[1][3]. **Intestinal micelles** are relevant for physiological and nutritional science but do not represent a target molecule or receptor that could be used for direct pharmacological intervention; instead, they are intermediates in fat digestion crucial for enabling the transfer and absorption of dietary fats in the intestine[4][5][2].

Other names

Intestinal micelleMicellesBile salt micelle

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