Binding characteristics of bovine serum albumin encapsulated in sol-gel glasses: an alternative for protein interaction studies.

Silica glasses doped with 500-700 microg of bovine serum albumin were prepared by the sol-gel method; two pH conditions (pH 5 and 7) were assayed for protein encapsulation. Both biomaterials showed a highly porous structure, with pore sizes in the range 5-28 nm. Columns packed with the ground biogels were on-line coupled to a C18 HPLC column for evaluation of the entrapped protein binding properties using propranolol.