Among
numerous compounds found in marine organisms, triterpenes
have attracted considerable research interest due to a beneficial
impact on health including anti-inflammatory, antitumor, antiviral,
and antioxidation effects. Specifically, new functionalities of oleanolic
acid (OLA) have been revealed recently, indicating possible applications
in nutrition and pharmaceuticals. However, this bioactive material
has limited value due to low water solubility and stability. Therefore,
oleanolic acid needs a carrier that protects it and enables controlled
release in the human body. Innovative drug delivery systems provide
a promising strategy for overcoming these problems. However, the development
of those systems requires a comprehensive understanding of the physicochemical
properties of triterpenes and their carriers as well as the interactions
between them. Among numerous substances, human serum albumin (HSA)
has been widely studied as a drug carrier. In addition, human serum
albumin is the main blood plasma protein responsible for the transport
of drugs and metabolites; therefore, the interactions between that
protein and other substances are of physiological and pharmaceutical
importance. Moreover, sensing the HSA level in blood plasma is an
important challenge that requires binding studies on a molecular scale.
The aim of this study was to investigate the properties of oleanolic
acid in the presence of human serum albumin in terms of thermodynamics,
morphology, and viscoelasticity at the air/water interface. Moreover,
the wettability, surface free energy, and topography of the films
after deposition on the solid substrate were determined. The results
have been discussed in terms of providing physicochemical insight
into the interfacial behavior of the OLA–HSA complex, which
is crucial for pharmaceutical and bioanalytical applications.