Egg yolk antibodies (IgY) and its therapeutic uses for human and animal health -A review Chitra P.* Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Tiruppur - 641 667, Tamil Nadu, India *Corresponding author Email: chitra.p@tnau.ac.in
Online published on 28 April, 2023. Abstract Antibodies have been extensively used in molecular biology, protein detection, cell isolation, immunopathology as well as in the diagnosis and treatment of various diseases in humans and animals. Egg yolk represented an alternate source of antibody and has some advantages over mammalian serum immunoglobulins. Immunoglobulin Y (IgY), the principal immunoglobulin in avian blood, in nature, gets transferred to egg yolk and then to the offspring, which made it possible for the non-invasive harvesting of antibodies in higher amount from eggs. Chicken has a natural tendency to concentrate immunoglobulins in higher concentrations in egg yolk which enabled the subsequent collection and separation of antibodies easier by non-invasive methods than the separation from serum as in rabbits or mice. Chicken being phylogenetically distant from mammals, react strongly against highly conserved mammalian antigens. Egg yolk antibodies (EYA) have minimal toxic or side effects. IgY antibodies from chicken egg yolks demonstrated anti-tumour and anti-allergic activities. It acts against the infections caused by bacteria, viruses and parasites in human beings and in animals. In addition, it has also been used in food preservation and as an excellent feed additive. Therefore, the application of oral passive immunization using egg yolk antibodies (IgY) has opened doors for future avenues for prevention and treatment of infectious diseases in both humans and animals. Top Keywords Egg yolk antibodies, Immunoglobulin, Animal and human health. Top |