Protection of human albumin against UV-C irradiation by natural antioxidants
The use of UV-C light as a means to inactivate pathogens in biological media containing blood components or plasma derivatives has recently been rediscovered. Although highly effective, these treatments may have deleterious effects on plasma proteins such as albumin, fibrinogen and immunoglobulins. Here we investigate the use of three natural antioxidants, gallic acid, nicotinic acid and ascorbic acid, as potential stabilizers of human albumin (HA) during irradiation by UV at 254 nm.