Freund's adjuvant

adjuvant /ad·ju·vant/ (aj″dbobr-vant) (ă-joo´vant)

1. assisting or aiding.

2. a substance that aids another, such as an auxiliary remedy.

3. a nonspecific stimulator of the immune response.

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aluminum adjuvant  an aluminum-containing compound, such as aluminum hydroxide or alum, that by combining with soluble antigen forms a precipitate; slow release of the antigen from the precipitate on injection causes prolonged, strong antibody response.

Freund's adjuvant  a water-in-oil emulsion incorporating antigen, in the aqueous phase, into lightweight paraffin oil with the aid of an emulsifying agent. On injection, this mixture (Freund's incomplete a.) induces strong persistent antibody formation. The addition of killed, dried mycobacteria, e.g., Mycobacterium butyricum, to the oil phase (Freund's complete a.) elicits cell-mediated immunity (delayed hypersensitivity), as well as humoral antibody formation.

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Freund's adjuvant (froindz)

n.

A substance consisting of killed microorganisms, such as mycobacteria, in an oil and water emulsion that is administered to induce and enhance the formation of antibodies.