The plasma protein found in the blood of cattle is called bovine serum albumin. It is used in medical and biochemical studies. Albumin is present in meat and milk, as well as in the blood of all mammals.
What is serum albumin?
This type of protein is the most common and accounts for about 70% of the total protein composition of the blood. Bovine serum albumin is well studied, its concentration in the blood is 35-55 mg / ml.
In form, this type of protein is a flattened ellipsoid, which contains 607 amino acids. The spatial structure of albumin is divided into three domains, each of which includes 2 subdomains.
Protein is widely used in laboratory practice, due to its low price, easy isolation and sufficient study of the properties.
How to get serum albumin
You can get bovine serum albumin in the following ways:
- Blood serum is taken, water is added to it in a volume exceeding the volume of serum by 20 times. To donkey globulin, add acetic acid. The settled liquid is filtered and neutralized with soda. Dialysis and evaporation at a temperature of 40 ° C releases most of the salts.
- Release blood from the animal in the amount of several liters. It is cooled and coagulation is waiting. Fresh blood should not be agitated, so the place of production of albumin should be chosen in the immediate vicinity of the place of slaughter of animals. After blood coagulation, it is cut into pieces and transferred to bowls with a bottom having openings. The draining serum is collected and evaporated at a temperature of 40 ° C. The residue will be albumin. Stirring leads to rupture and deterioration of the product.
From 5 bulls, you can get 20 liters of blood and up to 2 kilograms of albumin.
Bovine serum albumin may not be homogeneous enough, therefore, additional purification is required. The most popular method is affinity chromatography.
A method is being developed in which albumin will be separated from prepared solutions in a pure form without low molecular weight impurities.
Albumin Allergy
Allergy to bovine serum albumin is common in childhood. Since this protein is present in all mammals, including humans, it is present in milk and meat of animals.
Most often, albumin is the main cause of allergies to beef, but may be the culprit for allergies to milk. Bovine albumin is also widely used in the manufacture of cosmetics. The allergic properties of the protein are partially lost when heated, so prolonged heat treatment reduces allergenicity, but does not completely remove it.
In patients who do not tolerate beef, intolerance to cow's milk is often noted. An inverse relationship is also observed. In addition, bovine albumin is similar in structure to the proteins of some other animals, for example, sheep. Therefore, with an allergy to veal, a cross allergy to other animal proteins occurs.
Studies have shown that children with allergic reactions to milk protein are allergic to lactoglobulin - in 60%, to bovine albumin - in 50%. Skin studies have given other results: a reaction to lactoglobulin occurred in 80% of cases, while to serum albumin - not more than 40%. It is known that in the presence of antibodies to certain animal proteins in the blood, a constant allergy to bovine serum albumin is formed.
In children under 3 years of age, an allergy to milk protein is most often detected. There are various manifestations: from skin rashes to severe lesions of the gastrointestinal tract. Allergens can be about 40 proteins found in cow's milk. Bovine albumin accounts for about 1% of the proteins found in milk and 5% in beef.
Where is BSA
Animal products contain proteins. They participate in the construction of cells, metabolism and are an important element for any organism. For people who are allergic to protein, it's important to know which foods contain bovine serum albumin.
The main albumin product is cow meat. Therefore, with an allergy to bovine albumin, you have to give up beef.
Bovine albumin is also found in cow's milk. Here it is contained in a smaller amount, but can also cause allergies. In boiled milk, protein changes the structure, due to this, the risk of allergies is also reduced.
Albumin is found in some infant formulas. Therefore, when identifying allergens, it is necessary to carefully study the nutritional composition for the child.
The benefits and harms of beef
The meat contains protein and is required for the body. If you are allergic to bovine albumin, the question arises of what benefit and harm beef has. Here is a list of good qualities:
- saturates the body for a long time with energy;
- low in fat;
- increases hemoglobin level;
- increases physical stamina;
- increases mental performance.
The benefit of meat depends on the animal’s food and the use of antibiotics in the process of growing it.
So, beef has many useful qualities, but it is very allergic. This is perhaps its main drawback. Therefore, individuals allergic to bovine albumin will have to abandon the meat of large horned animals and replace it with other species.
What to do with an allergy to albumin
When confirming an allergy to bovine albumin, hazardous foods must be excluded from the diet. You should be aware that prolonged exercise can trigger the development of gastrointestinal diseases. Diet therapy is the main way to deal with allergic reactions.
For a newborn, breast milk is the best diet, but mother should limit the use of beef and dairy products in this case. For children-artists, a low-allergenic mixture should be prepared in which the proteins have undergone additional hydrolysis.
The causes of allergies can be various:
- genetic predisposition;
- illness during pregnancy;
- early feeding.
Assays for the determination of specific IgE for bovine serum albumin are highly accurate and are used most often.