Quantification of Selected Serum Proteins of Milk by Immunological Procedures

Abstract
Evaluation was of these immunological procedures for the quantification of the bovine serum albumin and .beta.-lactoglobulin content of milk: Oudin''s single diffusion, Mancini''s radial immunodiffusion, and Laurell''s electroimmunodiffusion techniques. All 3 methods were reproducible and did not require preliminary treatment of the milk. The bovine serum albumin content (mg/ml) of 25 different herd and bulk milk samples ranged from .17-.32 by single immunodiffusion .18-.32 by radial immunodiffusion and .16-.31 by electroimmunodiffusion. Means were .250, .258 and .238. The concentration (mg/ml) of .beta.-lactoglobulin for 15 milk samples ranged from 2.9-3.9 by single immunodiffusion, 2.8-4.0 by radial immunodiffusion and 3.0-4.1 by electroimmunodiffusion. Means were 3.44, 3.45 and 3.50. The minimum amount of protein detected by each procedure was 7.5 .mu.g bovine serum albumin or 6.25 .mu.g .beta.-lactoglobulin by single immunodiffusion, .75 .mu.g bovine serum albumin or .beta.-lactoglobulin by radial immunodiffusion, and .025 .mu.g bovine serum albumin or .beta.-lactoglobulin electroimmunodiffusion. The electroimmunodiffusion procedure was the most rapid and sensitive method and required the least amount of reagents.