The influence of bovine serum albumin on the crystallization of calcium phosphates from a revised simulated body fluid

Revised simulated body fluid (rSBF) was modified by addition of bovine serum albumin (BSA) in physiological amounts. The influence of BSA on the crystallization of calcium phosphates from supersaturated solutions equal to 4 times the ionic concentrations of rSBF was studied under the physiological conditions (solution pH 7.35–7.40, temperature 37.0±0.2 °C). The experiments were performed both in plastic vessels (a fast and uncontrolled precipitation) and in a constant-composition double-diffusion device (a slow precipitation under the strictly controlled crystallization conditions). Regardless of the experimental conditions, BSA was found to co-precipitate with calcium phosphates, which had a strong negative influence on crystallinity of the precipitates.