Bovine Serum Albumin

General description
Albumin is the most abundant plasma protein in humans. High levels of albumin are associated with dehydration. Albumin turnover is seen in infants with iron deficiency anemia.[1] Serum albumin is a reliable prognostic indicator for liver disease. Oxidative damage of albumin is associated with advanced liver disease.[2] Application
Bovine Serum Albumin has been used as a supplement in Dulbecco′s modified eagle medium (DMEM).[3] It has also been used in immunostaining of cell arrays.[4] Suitable for growth of Borrelia burgdorferi in BSK II medium
Biochem/physiol Actions
Certain conformational and primary-sequence epitopes of BSA are suspected allergens in human beef and milk allergies.
Preparation Note
Prepared using heat shock fractionation
Serum albumin may be referred to as Fraction V. This naming convention is taken from the original Cohn method of fractionating serum proteins using cold ethanol precipitation. Serum albumin was found in the fifth ethanol fraction using Cohn′s method. Since then, the term “Fraction V” has been used by some to describe serum albumin regardless of the method of preparation. Others have used this term to describe serum albumin purified by ethanol fractionation methods that have been highly modified since the original Cohn method was described. Sigma-Aldrich manufactures and distributes serum albumins purified from a variety of primary methods including the true Cohn fractionation method, modified ethanol fractionation methods, heat shock and chromatography. Additional purification steps may include crystallization or charcoal filtration.