In vitro Inhibitory Activity of IgY Antibodies Against Salmonella Ser. Newport Isolated from Horses.

The research conducted studied the potential for egg yolk antibodies, known as IgY, in inhibiting Salmonella Newport, a strain that causes a condition in horses known as equine salmonellosis. The paper suggests IgY-technology could provide an alternative method of controlling Salmonella in horses, particularly due to the rise in multi-drug resistant strains.

Background

• Equine salmonellosis, which causes enterocolitis and diarrhea in horses, is brought about by various Salmonella serotypes, including S. Newport.
• Antibiotic treatment is commonly employed, however, the increase in multidrug-resistant Salmonella has necessitated the exploration of alternative control methods.
• One such alternative is passive immunotherapy, which uses specific egg yolk antibodies, termed as IgY.

Research Aim and Methodology

• The objective of the study centered on producing IgY antibodies that would fight an equine S. Newport strain and assessing their in vitro inhibitory activity.
• Laying hens were immunized with an inactive S. Newport strain using either Freund’s or Montanide adjuvant. Following immunization, egg yolk extracts were generated.
• The levels of specific IgY antibodies against Salmonella in both the sera and egg extracts were then determined via dot-blot and microagglutination tests.
• The IgY extracts were analyzed based on total protein content, SDS-PAGE, Western Blot, and inhibiting bacterial motility.

Results and Conclusion

• The IgY extracts depicted high purity rates between 87.7% and 91.8%. They showed high microagglutination levels and proved to inhibit the Salmonella bacterium’s movement.
• The study found that the Montanide adjuvant worked similarly to the conventional Freund’s adjuvant, indicating that Montanide may also be a suitable adjuvant to generate IgY.
• This research concludes that IgY-technology has the potential to provide a viable tool for controlling salmonellosis in horses, which could assist in dealing with drug-resistant strains of the bacteria. Moreover, Montanide shows promise as an adjuvant in the production of IgY, offering an alternative to the currently used Freund’s adjuvant.