Serum albumin (ALB) and Beta-lactoglobulin (LGB) (ALB/BLG)

Serum albumin is the most abundant protein in mammalian plasma, synthesized by the liver, and is essential for maintaining colloid osmotic pressure and transporting various ligands such as fatty acids, hormones, and drugs [UniProt P02768]. Beta-lactoglobulin is the major whey protein in the milk of ruminants and other species, belonging to the lipocalin family, but it is notably absent in human milk [UniProt P02754]. While serum albumin is used clinically for volume expansion and as a drug delivery vehicle to enhance the pharmacokinetics of agents like paclitaxel, beta-lactoglobulin is primarily recognized as a major food allergen [StatPearls, Albumin; PubMed PMID: 26044860]. The binding of drugs to serum albumin significantly influences their distribution and free plasma concentration, which is a critical factor in pharmacological dosing [Peters, T., All About Albumin, 1995]. This target entry is considered complex as it combines a vital human transport protein with a non-human milk protein, both of which have distinct biological roles and medical implications [PubChem, Beta-lactoglobulin].

Other names

HSAALBLGBBeta-LGHuman serum albuminBovine beta-lactoglobulinWhey protein

Serum albumin functions as a carrier protein that non-covalently binds and transports hydrophobic molecules in the blood, while beta-lactoglobulin acts as a lipocalin-family transporter in milk and serves as a primary antigen in milk allergies.