Immunological quantitation of IgG and IgM in milk and serum of the goat at different stages of the reproductive cycle

Haider Ismail and Yasuhiru Kon

Abstract

IgG and IgM levels in colostrum, milk and serum were quantitated by radial immunodiffusion. Concentration of milk IgG was found to be 65 mg/ml at the colostrum period. It further decreased to 3 mg/ml after Day 15 of lactation. However, the concentration of serum IgG was constant throughout the reproductive cycle (8-11 mg/ml). Concentrations of IgM in Serum and milk range between 0.5-1.5 mg/ml and 0.2-04 mg/ml respectively, with slight higher values in serum. Hence, IgG was rather used for offspring immunity than for the defense of the mammary gland.