Isolation of IgY from the yolks of eggs by a chloroform polyethylene glycol procedure.

By shaking a dilute suspension of egg yolk with chloroform followed by low speed centrifugation (1500 g for 30 min) the water soluble proteins which include chicken IgG (IgY) separate from the emulsion of chloroform and lipophilic substances. The IgY may then be separated from the associated water soluble proteins by precipitation with 12% polyethylene glycol Mr 6000. The method called the chloroform - polyethylene glycol procedure was compared with the polyethylene glycol procedure which is currently being used. It was found that the chloroform - polyethylene glycol method yielded 2.57 times more IgY than the conventional polyethylene glycol method. The ratio of titres of IgY anti Jasus lalandii haemocyanin antibody purified by the two procedures was very nearly 2.57 indicating that the chloroform had no adverse effect on the antibody activity.