REDUCTION OF ENDOTOXIN CONTAMINATION OF VARIOUS CRUDE VACCINE MATERIALS BY GRAM-NEGATIVE BACTERIA USING AMINATED POLY(GAMMA-METHYL L-GLUTAMATE) SPHERICAL-PARTICLES

We describe a method for the removal of endotoxins from various crude antigen solutions originating from gram-negative bacteria using aminat ed poly(gamma-methyl L-glutamate) (PMLG) spherical particles. The amin ated PMLG adsorbents showed high affinity for various purified endotox ins at an ionic strength of mu = 0.1. The endotoxin-adsorbing capacity of the adsorbent increased with increase in the amino-group content o f the adsorbent. The adsorbent (3.2 meq/g amino-group content) showed the highest affinity for endotoxin at ionic strengths ranging from mu = 0.025-0.8. The adsorption of Bordetella pertussis antigen to the ads orbent decreased with increasing amino-group content of the adsorbent at an ionic strength of mu = 0.2. The adsorption of B. bronchiseptica protein to the adsorbent increased with increasing amino-group content of the adsorbent, but decreased with increasing ionic strength. The a dsorbent (3.2 meq/g of amino-group content) selectively reduced endoto xin in crude antigen solutions originating from gram-negative bacteria , B. pertussis, B. bronchiseptica and Pasteurella multocida, even at a high ionic strength (mu = 0.2-0.4) without affecting the recovery of the protective antigens.