Some Applications of Chiral Liquid Affinity Chromatography Using Bovine Serum Albumin as a Stationary Phase

Abstract
The enantioselectivity exerted by many proteins can be utilized for direct optical resolution in liquid chromatographic processes whereby the protein is used as a stationary phase. Bovine serum albumin (BSA), covalently bound to a suitable support, acts as a chiral discriminator for a variety of racemic organic compounds in aqueous buffers. Columns packed with BSA-silica can be used for determination of enantiomeric composition in aqueous solvents at very low concentrations by HPLC [high performance liquid chromatography]. This technique opens up new possibilities for the preparative isolation of .mu.g amounts of enantiomers and for studies of stereoselectivity and mechanisms in enzymatic and microbial reactions.