AFFINITY-CHROMATOGRAPHY OF TRYPSIN USING CHITOSAN AS LIGAND SUPPORT

Chitosan beads were prepared for use as affinity adsorbent carrier. Th e affinity ligand, chicken ovomucoid, was immobilized on the chitosan via a cross-linker, glutaraldehyde. The results showed that 60 mg chic ken ovomucoid could be immobilized on 1 g chitosan, and the maximum bi nding capacity for trypsin was about 8 . 10(4) U/g dry adsorbent. The procedure for preparing the chitosan-based affinity adsorbents was muc h safer and simpler than when a Sepharose-based matrix was the support . Columns packed with the affinity adsorbents were employed for trypsi n chromatography. The experimental results revealed that the affinity adsorbents possessed good mechanical strength and storage stability an d could be also operated repeatedly. Chitosan was suitable for use as an affinity adsorbent support for laboratory-scale and large-scale pur ification.