Efficient removal of bilirubin from human serum by monosize dye affinity beads

Cibacron Blue F3GA (CB) was covalently attached onto poly(glycidyl methacrylate) (PGMA) monosize beads for removal of bilirubin from hyperbilirubinemia human serum. PGMA beads were produced by dispersion polymerization (1.6 μm in diameter). CB loading was 1.73 mmol/g. Bilirubin adsorption experiments were performed by stirred-batch adsorption. The non-specific adsorption of bilirubin was low (0.4 mg/g polymer). CB attachment onto the PGMA beads significantly increased the bilirubin adsorption (241.5 mg/g) from aqueous solutions. The maximum bilirubin adsorption was observed at pH 6.0. With an increase of the aqueous phase concentration of sodium chloride, the adsorption amount of bilirubin decreased drastically. The equilibrium adsorption of bilirubin significantly increased with increasing temperature. Much higher adsorption values up to 332 mg bilirubin/g were achieved in the case of the PGMA/CB beads from human plasma.