Complexation of serum albumins and triton X-100: Quenching of tryptophan fluorescence and analysis of the rotational diffusion of complexes

The polarized and nonpolarized fluorescence of bovine serum albumin and human serum albumin in Triton X-100 solutions is studied at different pH values. Analysis of the constants of fluorescence quenching for BSA and HSA after adding Triton X-100 and the hydrodynamic radii of BSA/HSA–detergent complexes show that the most effective complexation between both serum albumins and Triton X-100 occurs at pH 5.0, which lies near the isoelectric points of the proteins. Complexation between albumin and Triton X-100 affects the fluorescence of the Trp-214 residing in the hydrophobic pockets of both BSA and HSA.