Immunospecific Antibody Concentration in Egg Yolk of Chickens Orally Immunised with Varying Doses of Bovine Serum Albumin and the Mucosal Adjuvant, RhinoVax®, using Different Immunization Regimes

Abstract

Antibody harvested from eggs of immunised chickens, IgY, has proven to be a non-invasive alternative to  antibodies purified from serum of mammals. Taking the non-invasive concept further, the development of  oral immunization techniques combined with IgY harvest from chicken eggs may subsequently eliminate  all regulated procedures from polyclonal antibody production. In the present study, we report the effects of  varying the temporal administration mode of the antigen (immunogen) comparing dosing on three consecutive  days with dosing on five consecutive days, and of incorporating a mucosal adjuvant. Two antigen  doses were compared: 30 mg bovine serum albumin (BSA) and 300 mg BSA, with and without the mucosal  adjuvant, RhinoVax®, administered to laying chickens. The egg yolk of chickens dosed with BSA in combination  with 20% RhinoVax®, contained significantly higher concentrations of immunospecific IgY than  did egg yolks of chickens fed with BSA without adjuvant. The most efficient dose in the RhinoVax®-treated  groups was 300 mg BSA regardless of whether the chickens were initially immunised daily for three or  five days. A 3-day dosing regime with BSA alone also induced immunospecific IgY production. This study  confirms that RhinoVax® is an efficient oral adjuvant. It also demonstrates the efficacy of daily immunizations  on three or five consecutive days on immunospecific IgY production. The chickens received oral  booster immunizations one and two months after the initial immunization. No real effect could be recorded  after the second and third immunization, although the study did provide some evidence of memory  based on an optimum IgY concentration recorded after the 2nd immunization.