Egg, Biological Drug Factory
Egg was not only an important source of protein for human, but also it was useful as the biological medicinal factory. The researcher from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Bogor Agricultural University, Prof.Dr.drh. Retno D.Soejodono, managed to find the other benefits. “Since 2008, we have examined the egg as a biological factory that can produce immunoglobulin Y (Ig-Y) in the yolk and have the anti against various diseases,” explained Prof. Retno in the event of Press Conference of Pre Oration Professorship. Some of these benefits include: Ig-Y anti-bird flu, Ig-Y anti-dental caries, Ig-Y anti white spot syndrome on shrimp, Ig-Y tetanus, Ig-Y anti-diarrhea and so on.
The use of egg as the biological factory was in line with the animal welfare issue, because the production of biological material had hardly hurt animal. In the production of biological material the egg could replace animal. For example, the production of anti tetanus serum (ATS) until the moment was still using horse serum. To produce ATS, the horse should be repeatedly injected with tetanus toxoid and at harvest time the serum was repeatedly conducted. Not infrequently this caused the case of amyloidosis or clotting protein that caused the horse pain.
The technological benefits of immunoglobulin Y, according to Prof. Retno, compared with the use of rabbit or other manufacturers, were: the maintenance cost for chicken was relatively cheap, it did not hurt animal, and it had egg containing 50-100 mg of Ig-Y equivalent to 200 mg of Ig-G per 40 ml of the blood resulted in one rabbit blood harvesting. Besides that, the egg was easily stored in a relatively long period of time, generated more specific immune response and had no side effects. “Utilization of egg as the biological factory has a very bright future and can be applied on an industrial scale. Currently, we have created a range of products made from the immunoglobulin Y which are efficacious as anti-bird flu cakes, toothpaste of anti-caries and so on,” said Prof. Retno. (ris)
