Freeze-dried snake antivenoms formulated with sorbitol, sucrose or mannitol: comparison of their stability in an accelerated test.

Freeze-drying is used to improve the long term stability of pharmaceutical proteins. Sugars and polyols have been successfully used in the stabilization of proteins. However, their use in the development of freeze-dried antivenoms has not been documented.

Prospects in lyophilization of bovine pericardium.

Almost 30 years after the introduction of heart valve prostheses patients worldwide are benefiting from the implant of these devices. Among the various types of heart valves, the ones made of treated bovine pericardium have become a frequently used replacement of the heart's native valve. Lyophilization, also known as freeze-drying, is an extremely useful technique for tissue storage for surgical applications.

Effect of lyophilization on the structure and phase changes of PEGylated-bovine serum albumin.

Poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG) conjugation masks the protein's surface and increases the molecular size of the polypeptide, thus preventing the approach of antibodies or antigen processing cells and reducing the degradation by proteolytic enzymes. Proteins are readily denatured by numerous stresses arising in solution (e.g.