Gastrointestinal allergy to soyabean protein in preruminant calves. Antibody production and digestive disturbances in calves fed heated soyabean flour.

Preruminant calves were fed heated soyabean flour as a constituent of a milk based diet. Within two weeks IgG and IgE antibodies specific for soyabean proteins appeared in their serum. To measure the rate of flow of digesta through the small intestine, other calves were cannulated in the abomasum and distal ileum. They were given single experimental feeds containing heated soyabean flour as the sole source of protein. The production of similar antibodies in these animals coincided with an increase in the rate of flow of digesta produced from an experimental feed. These results suggest the development of a gastrointestinal allergy to soyabean proteins.