Microbiological determination of drug partitioning. IV. Drug-protein interactions.

The protein binding characteristics of chloramphenicol, furazolium chloride, benzalkonium chloride, and phenylmercuric nitrate were described from their partitioning behavior in gelatin-acacia complex coacervate systems. Although the partitioning was determined by two different methods (microbiological and chemical), the microbiological method was more reliable for this type of investigation. Drug-protein parameters were calculated for the four antimicrobials. The advantages of the coacervate systems over other models for protein binding studies of drugs are discussed.