Recovering purified antibodies from egg yolk
AssigneeSouth African Inventions Development Corporation
InventorAlfred Polson
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Abstract
Immunological preparations are prepared by immunizing hens with an antigen, preferably to a stage of hyperimmunization. The eggs of the immunized hens are collected, the yolk is separated from the eggs, followed by separation of the lipid content of the yolk. The antibodies in the egg yolk are then rendered indispersable with the aid of a water-soluble linear filamentary non-charged polymer precipitant such as PEG and the indispersable antibodies are recovered. This precipitation of antibodies is preferably preceded by a precipitation of caseinaceous proteins at lower polymer concentrations. The immunological preparations are useful for diagnostic purposes and in appropriate cases also for the treatment of pathological conditions.
Claims13
A process for recovering purified IgY antibodies from fowl egg yolk containing said antibodies, comprising the steps of
- (a) rendering the lipid content and the caseinous protein of the egg yolk water-indispersable by mixing the yolk with water and a water-soluble linear filamentary non-charged polymer precipitant in a concentration sufficient to substantially suppress the dispersability of lipids and caseinous protein without substantially suppressing the dispersability of IgY antibodies;
- (b) separating egg yolk substances thus rendered indispersable, including the lipid content, from an aqueous phase which still contains the antibodies dispersed therein;
- and
- (c) recovering the antibodies from said aqueous phase.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.