Effect of protein binding on high performance liquid chromatography analysis of drugs with an internal-surface...

The effect of protein binding on the high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) elution profile of drugs injected directly onto an internal-surface reversed-phase (ISRP) silica column was investigated. When a relatively large volume (greater than or equal to 100 microliters) of the sample solution containing warfarin and bovine serum albumin (BSA) was applied directly onto the ISRP column and elution was carried out with the mobile phase containing an organic modifier, two distinct peaks, both due to warfarin, appeared separated from the protein peak. The peak splitting was not observed in the case of antipyrine-BSA mixed solution, where the protein binding is weak. It was found that the drug bound at the strong-binding site on the BSA molecule was released slowly during the process of chromatography and was eluted as the first peak with a shorter retention time, while the drug bound at the weak-binding site was released quickly, and was eluted as the second peak together with the free drug. The warfarin-BSA interaction at the strong-binding site was evaluated, under minimum influence from the other binding site, from the warfarin concentration obtained from the first peak and the free warfarin concentration determined by the ultrafiltration method.