Studies on the immunoglobulin spectrum of porcine serum and colostrum

An analysis of the immunoglobulin region of porcine blood serum proved the presence of a number of protein fractions which is higher than in other animal species. The presence of antibody activity to tetanus anatoxin examined by radioimmunoelectrophoresis was found in three γ G-globulin fractions, which could be distinguished from each other, and also in two additional fractions. One of the latter was the γ-macroglobulin fraction and the other one might correspond to γ A-globulin even though its mobility was higher than the mobility of γ A-globulin of human serum. A comparison of the immunoglobulin spectrum of porcine serum, colostrum, and of the suckling pig serum after ingestion of the colostrum showed that the main component of porcine colostrum constitutes the γ G-immunoglobulin, even though the colostrum seems to contain other components of the latter which have a higher electrophoretic mobility. The antibody activity of colostrum was found only in fractions γ G and γ M. The fraction of colostrum which might correspond to γ A did not display any activity at all. The activity in suckling pig serum was also concentrated in fractions γ G and γ M.