PRODUCTION OF ANTIBODY AGAINST SAIKOSAPONIN-A, AN ACTIVE COMPONENT OFBUPLEURI RADIX

High titer rabbit polyclonal antibodies (pAbs) which show a specificit y for saikosaponin a (SSA), have been generated. The immunogen used wa s a conjugate of SSA linked through its glucose moiety to bovine serum albumin by periodate oxidation method. The antibody titers obtained f rom two rabbits, innoculated with the immunogen, reached a plateau aft er the fourth and third booster injection, respectively. The specifici ty of the pAbs was determined by hapten inhibition assays using severa l SSA-like structures. SSA competitively inhibited the binding of the rabbit anti-SSA pAbs to SSA-ovalbumin on solid phase, a coated antigen on the well. The antibodies showed high specificity to SSA, exhibitin g no significant cross-reactivity with any of SSA analogues tested.