CONALBUMIN

white crystalline powder

Conalbumin has been used:

• as a constituent of Leibovitz 15 (L15) medium involved in preparation of primary neuronal cultures
• to study its adsorption property on a metal surface in the presence of an external electric potential
• to determine its adsorption isotherms in anion exchange chromatography by multivariate analysis

Conalbumin (CA) is a monomeric glycoprotein that makes up approximately 13% of the albumin found in egg white. The iron complex of CA is more stable to chemical and physical treatments when compared to the uncomplexed proteins. At near neutral conditions, urea denaturation of CA modifies but does not destroy the iron complex.

Conalbumin from chicken egg white has been used:

• as ovotransferrin standard in 96well microplate assay to investigate on ovotransferrin-like activity in the plasma of wild birds
• to examine its effects on osteoclastogenesis
• to study its partitioning in aqueous two-phase systems

Iron-carrying proteins conalbumin and serum transferrin are synthesized with identical 19-amino-acid leader sequences that are removed during protein maturation. The leader sequences are presumably involved in secretion of the proteins by endoplasmic reticulum.

Conalbumin facilitates the transport of iron to the developing embryo. It exhibits anti-microbial activity thus, conalbumin is used in various applications such as infant formula ingredient, a food additive, and an antimicrobial agent for enhancing animal health. In addition, it also acts as an antifungal, antiviral, anticancer, antioxidative, antihypertensive and immunoregulatory agent.