Avian antibodies: an alternative in production and diagnosis

Abstract

Research and diagnosis have used antibodies for many decades. These antibodies are obtained from several mammalian sera (rodents, caprines, equines. etc.). which are obtained through periodical bleeding and whose quantity depends on the hosrs size. During the last few years, eggs of immunized hens have oflen been used in order to get purified antibodies. Mammalian and hen antibodies have different structure and physicochemical features. but the latter have many advantages. Some of these advantages are: high productivity. easier collection and less stress and host injuries. Successful immunochemical essays, conjugate production and therapy using avian antibodies have been reported and they are cheaper than mammalian ones. The present work is a review on avian antibodies and their usefulness for research, diagnosis and therapy.