PROTEIN-FREE NATURAL RUBBER LATEX, PROCESS FOR PRODUCING THE SAME AND USE THEREOF

摘要

A natural rubber latex which is substantially free from proteins specified respectively by bands at 14, 31 and 45 kDa in the SDS-PAGE method; and a process for producing the natural rubber latex as described above which comprises saponifying a natural rubber latex with an alkali hydroxide in the presence of a surfactant. Because of substantially being free from the above proteins causative of the expression of type I allergy, the above-described natural rubber latex is appropriately usable in producing various products such as catheters, rubber gloves, condoms and foamed articles.