Preparation and characterization cibacron blue F3GA attached poly(acrylamide-allylglycidyl ether) cryogels for albumin purification from human plasma

Poly(acrylamide-allyl glycidyl ether) [poly(AAm-AGE)] cryogel was prepared by bulk polymerization which proceeds in aqueous solution of monomers frozen inside a glass column (cryo-polymerization). After thawing, the monolithic cryogel contains a continuous polymeric matrix having interconnected pores of 10-100 ?m size. Cibacron Blue F3GA was immobilized by covalent binding onto poly(AAm- AGE) cryogel via epoxy groups. Poly(AAm-AGE) cryogel was characterized by swelling studies, FTIR, scanning electron microscopy and elemental analysis. The equilibrium swelling degree of the poly(AAm-AGE) monolithic cryogel was 6.84 g H2O/g cryogel. Poly(AAm-AGE) cryogel containing 68.9 ?mol Cibacron Blue F3GA/g were used in the adsorption/desorption of human serum albumin (HSA) from aqueous solutions and human plasma. The non-specific adsorption of HSA was very low (0.2 mg/g). The maximum amount of HSA adsorption from aqueous solution in phosphate buffer was 27 mg/g at pH 5.0. Higher HSA adsorption value was obtained from human plasma (up to 74.2 mg/g) with a purity of 92%. Desorption of HSA from Cibacron Blue F3GA attached poly(AAm-AGE) cryogel was obtained using 0.1 M Tris/HCl buffer containing 0.5 M NaCl. It was observed that HSA could be repeatedly adsorbed and desorbed with poly(AAm-AGE) cryogel without significant loss in the adsorption capacity.