Immunoaffinity chromatographic analysis for purification of specific diagnostic antigens of Paramphistomum epiclitum.

Polypeptide profile of somatic antigen of Paramphistomum epiclitum (PSAg) and Gastrothylax crumenifer (GSAg) was studied by SDS-PAGE. PSAg and GSAg showed 14 and 19 polypeptides in the range of 14.9-95.5 and 13.7-129.6 kDa with six common polypeptides of mol wt 16.8, 21.8, 23.7, 35.5, 43.4 and 70.8 kDa. P. epiclitum experimentally infected sheep sera were used for identification of specific immuno-dominant peptide in the range of 37-40 kDa against P. epiclitum by western blotting. Hyperimmune sera (HIS) was raised in rabbit against the identified polypeptide, IgG was separated from HIS and an immunoaffinity column was constructed with a binding percentage of 83.74 of IgG with CNBr activated Sepharose 4B. Purification of somatic antigen (PSAg) was done with immunoaffinity chromatography and 37-40 kDa protein antigen was isolated in pure form with recovery percentage of 2.97%. This purified fraction of somatic antigen can be used as a candidate antigen for development of serological assay for early diagnosis of paramphistomosis among livestock.