Uses of Immunoglobulins as an Antimicrobials Alternative in Veterinary Medicine

Abstract

As a result of increasing the resistance to antimicrobials in the field of veterinary medicine that reflects on human health, there is a great demand to use some drug alternatives. The application of avian immunoglobulins (IgY) is regarded as an important alternative strategy. The IgYs have been produced by several techniques and applied for animals using different methods. In addition, egg yolk IgYs have many advantages over blood type ones. There are many uses of IgYs in veterinary medicine. They have been used for the prophylaxis and treatment of different infections especially the enteric ones in cattle, pigs, rabbits, dogs, rats, mice, and fish species. Moreover, several studies showed the importance of IgY for competing for the in vivo enteric pathogens in poultry and the in vitro foodborne pathogen. Therefore, it is important to put a spotlight on applications of egg yolk immunoglobulins IgY in veterinary medicine to overcome the problems of antimicrobials’ resistance as well as the tissue residues that adversely affect human health.