Abstract:

The surface tension is an important physical property of tear film, which enables the tear fluid to spread over the corneal epithelium and form a stable film. Tear film lipids are mostly composed of meibomian gland lipids (meibum). The surfactants in meibum such as phospolipids, free fatty acid and (o-acyl)-ω-hydroxy fatty acids (OAHFA), can form a monomolecular ampholytic interface. The nature and activity of the surfactant molecules is the key factor which stabilize the tear film by lowering surface tension and increasing tear film break-up time. (Int Rev Ophthalmol,  2017,  41:    125-130)