Studies on thermal aggregation of bovine serum albumin as a drug carrier

The irreversible thermal aggregation rate and process of bovine serum album in (BSA) were investigated by means of light scattering technique as a func tion of temperature, The increasing rate of particle radius was affected by the aggregation temperature, concentration and the presence of fatty acid. The particle radius was larger and the aggregation rate was faster for fat ty acid free BSA at higher temperature and concentration, Two thermal aggre gation processes were observed at relatively low temperature and concentrat ion, both for fatty acid containing (C-BSA) and fatty acid free BSA (F-BSA) , The first process proceeds by an inter-monomer aggregation mechanism, and the second process by inter-aggregates aggregation. The first process is r epresented by a power law as R(happ)proportional to t(l), which is diffusio n limited cluster aggregation (DLCA).