Productivity and Some Properties of Egg Yolk Antibody (IgY) against Human Rotavirus Compared with Rabbit IgG

Productivity and some properties of anti-Human Rotavirus (HRV) hen egg yolk antibody (IgY) were compared with those of anti-HRV rabbit serum antibody (IgG). The hens immunized with HRV (Wa strain, serotype 1 and Mo strain, serotype 3) were found to continuously to lay eggs without any change in the egg laying rate and the yolk of the eggs laid over a year showed a high level of neutralization titer against HRV. The production of anti-HRV IgY by a hen (one year) was at least 15 times (anti-Wa) and 120 times (anti-Mo) more effective than those by an immunized rabbit in the neutralization titer of the antibodies.

The stability of anti-HRV IgY at temperature above 70°C and low pH 2–3 was less than that of anti-HRV rabbit IgG. The temperature corresponding to the maximum of denaturation endotherm (T_max) of IgY was 73.9°C while that of rabbit IgG was 77.0°C in the analysis by differential scanning calorimetry. This discrepancy in heat and acidic pH stability found between the two antibodies as discussed with regard to their protein structures.