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Updated: Jun 15, 2026

IgY Technology: Extraction of Chicken Antibodies from Egg Yolk by Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) Precipitation
Published on: May 1, 2011
[Chicken egg yolk immunoglobulin and its application in medicine]
1National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Key Laboratory of Parasite and Vector Biology, Ministry of Health, WHO Collaborating Centre for Malaria, Schistosomiasis and Filariasis, Shanghai 200025, China.
Abstract:
Egg yolk immunoglobulin (IgY) is a major immunoglobulin from birds, amphibians and reptiles. IgY does not activate mammalian complement system, and does not bind to mammalian rheumatoid factors, protein A or G. In addition, it has a high yield, and is easy to extract and purify. With these advantages, IgY has been widely used in veterinary science, functional food and bio-products, and proved potential application for disease control and treatment. This paper reviews biological characteristics of IgY, its extraction, purification, and application in immunodiagnosis and treatment.
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