Chicken IgY Antigen ELISA Kit

Streptococcus agalactiae (Sta), which belongs to Lancefield group B, causes sepsis, endocarditis and bacterial meningitis in human neonates and Nile tilapia. Because the pathophysiology of Sta infection is partially similar in both species, the identification of biomarkers for the diagnosis and study of this disease is of importance for human and animal health. Therefore, in the present study, we produced an immunoglobulin Y (IgY) by immunizing laying hens with Sta proteins and evaluated its ability to detect Sta in paraffinized tilapia brain and cardiac tissue by direct immunofluorescence (IMF) and indirect immunohistochemistry (IHC). The IgY produced was effective in the diagnosis of Sta infection in Nile tilapia, justifying the use of this species as a biomodel for the study of this disease.

Drugs that are commonly used in poultry farms can potentially cause a detrimental effect on meat consumers as a result of chemical residues. Therefore, seeking a natural alternative is crucial for the health of the consumers. The egg yolk immunoglobulin Y (IgY) is a promising natural replacement for antibiotics in the broilers' diet. There is a scarce focus on the influence of probiotics and IgY on the quality and the nutritive values of broiler meat and whether it can efficiently displace the anti-microbial power of antibiotics. Herein we used 40 Ross chicks (1.2 +/- 0.43 days old) and separated them into four groups with variant feed additives (basal diet "control," probiotic, IgY, and probiotic + IgY). Our findings showed that the combination of probiotic and IgY supplementation enhanced the carcass quality traits and decreased the pH values that could retard spoilage due to bacteria and improve shelf life and meat quality. The same group also achieved a significant reduction in thiobarbituric acid value, indicating an improvement of meat quality. Moreover, color, shear force, water holding capacity, and cooking loss were most acceptable in broiler meat supplemented with IgY, which confirmed the highest carcass quality. Notably, the weight gain in the combination group has been greatly increased. Also, the protein percentage was the highest (22.26 +/- 0.29,P< 0.001) in this combined supplementation group, which revealed the highest nutritive values.Staphylococcus aureusandEscherichia colicould not be detected in the meat of the probiotics group and/or in the combined treatment group. Interestingly, the IgY group showed an evidence of the killing power (log colony-forming units per milliliter) ofS. aureusandListeria monocytogenesat 1,500 mu g/ml. Our findings,in vitroas well asin vivo, revealed that the combination group had antimicrobial bioactivity and enhanced the chickens' immunity. Therefore, IgY, a novel trend of feed additives, can be used to limit drugs. Additionally, the mortality percentage recorded was zero in all groups that received feed supplementation, while the combination group reached the best financial advantages. We concluded that feeding IgY powder with probiotic is a frontier to improve the productivity, immunity, and meat quality of broilers.