Gastrointestinal allergy to soyabean protein in preruminant calves. Allergenic constituents of soyabean products.

Preruminant calves fed heated soyabean flour produced high titres of serum antibodies with specificity mainly for soyabean glycinin and beta-conglycinin. Various soyabean products that had been processed by different methods were analysed by immunological techniques to determine their content of glycinin and beta-conglycinin in soluble and undenatured form. The presence of such proteins in soyabean flour fed to preruminant calves was associated with the development of digestive disturbances and the production of serum antibodies. It is suggested that the suitability of soyabean products for calf nutrition could be assessed by simple immunological methods to detect these constituents.