Polyclonal antibody to ovomucoid determination in gamma irradiated laying eggs

To determine allergenic foods, one of the most used tests is the immunoassays such as ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay). The aim of this study was to determine the polyclonal antibody efficiency, produced in laboratory, to identify the presence the ovomucoid antigen in treated eggs by gamma irradiation for its inactivation. To evaluate the treatments, polyclonal antibody was produced. It was used, in nature, commercial laying eggs. Samples were submitted to the gamma radiation coming from a source of Co⁶⁰, under a dose rate of 19.4 and 31.8 Gy/h, in the doses: 0 (control); 10 kGy; 20 kGy and 30 kGy, in all rates. By the ELISA’s test we can find the egg allergen ovomucoid and the radiation treatment do not showed considerable changes. So we can conclude that the antibody produced is capable of identify the ovomucoid allergenic protein and the gamma irradiation in such rates does not shows changes in that protein.