Detection of passage and absorption of chicken egg yolk immunoglobulins in the gastrointestinal tract of pigs by use of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and fluorescent antibody testing
Yokoyama, H.; Peralta, R.C.; Sendo, S.; Ikemori, Y.; Kodama, Y.
American Journal of Veterinary Research 54(6): 867-872
1993
ISSN/ISBN: 0002-9645 PMID: 8323054 Document Number: 415522
Chicken egg yolk IgG can be absorbed and transferred as efficiently as colostral antibodies in the blood of neonatal pigs. Egg yolk IgG has a half-life of 1.85 days in newborn pig serum. This is shorter than the reported half-life (12 to 14 days) of homologous IgG in serum of pigs. Similar to colostral antibodies, egg yolk IgG absorption from intestine ceased at about' 34 hours of age, after a logarithmic decrease in absorption rate from birth. Egg yolk IgG absorption inhibition time in the gastrointestinal tract took 1.73 hours to decrease by half. Egg yolk IgG was protective against experimentally induced diarrhea in pigs when it was administered at high dose, and multiple dosing was instituted. Adverse effects were not observed when chicken egg yolk IgG was administered orally to pigs.