Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 9, 2026
IgY Technology: Extraction of Chicken Antibodies from Egg Yolk by Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) Precipitation
Published on: May 1, 2011
Efficient production, purification, and application of egg yolk antibodies against human HLA-A*0201 heavy chain and
Guang-Ping Ruan1, Li Ma, Xiao-Wei He
1Institute of Molecular Immunology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, PR China. ruangp2002@hotmail.com
The importance of eggs as a source of specific antibodies is well recognized. Egg yolk contains 8--20mg immunoglobulins (IgY) per milliliter. However, the major problem in separating IgY is to remove the high concentrations of lipids in egg yolk. We first used water dilution method to get the supernatant containing IgY, then purified the antibody by caprylic acid-ammonium sulfate method, and obtained specific antibody with satisfactory purity and activity. By comparison of these several methods, each has its advantages, one can be chosen to purify IgY according to practical need. The purified IgY produced by the immunized chickens can stain the human peripheral blood mononuclear cell effectively when labeled with fluorescent FITC.
The importance of eggs as a source of specific antibodies is well recognized. Egg yolk contains 8--20mg immunoglobulins (IgY) per milliliter. However, the major problem in separating IgY is to remove the high concentrations of lipids in egg yolk. We first used water dilution method to get the supernatant containing IgY, then purified the antibody by caprylic acid-ammonium sulfate method, and obtained specific antibody with satisfactory purity and activity. By comparison of these several methods, each has its advantages, one can be chosen to purify IgY according to practical need. The purified IgY produced by the immunized chickens can stain the human peripheral blood mononuclear cell effectively when labeled with fluorescent FITC.
