DEVELOPMENT AND COMPARISON OF PURIFICATION STRATEGIES FOR CHICKEN ANTIBODIES FROM EGG-YOLK

With regard for animal welfare as well as cost, antibodies purified fr om the egg yolk of immunized chickens are an attractive alternative to antibodies raised in serum of mammals. Various purification strategie s based on initial purification by a freeze and-thaw method followed b y one of three precipitation methods-ammonium sulfate, polyethylene gl ycol 6000, or caprylic acid-were compared, Ammonium sulfate precipitat ion (25 to 40%) was found to give the best combination of high purity and yield (58%). Moreover, this method is inexpensive and well suited for standard purification of egg yolk antibodies in large scale produc tion facilities.