EFFECT OF TRYPSIN AND CHYMOTRYPSIN ON BACTERICIDAL ACTIVITY AND SPECIFIC ANTIBODY ACTIVITY OF BOVINE COLOSTRUM

  • 1 January 1977
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 32  (2) , 207-213
Abstract
Digestion of bovine colostral whey with trypsin or chymotrypsin caused a progressive loss of the complement-mediated bactericidal activity of naturally-occurring colostral antibodies to Escherichia coli 0111. Bactericidal activity was associated primarily with IgG1 [immunoglobulin G1] and to a lesser extent with IgM. Chymotrypsin preferentially attacked IgM, destroying its antibacterial activity and producing an apparent decrease in its molecular weight. Trypsin preferentially attacked IgG1, but loss of antibacterial activity was not accompanied by a decrease in molecular weight. Using colostral whey with antiperoxidase activity the kinetics of loss of specific antibody activity were similar to those of loss of bactericidal activity. Trypsin may cause a loss of specific antibody activity of colostral IgG1 without cleaving the Ig molecule.