Bovine Colostrum: Its Constituents and Uses

Abstract

Colostrum is the milk produced during the first few days after birth and contains high levels of immunoglobulins, antimicrobial peptides, and growth factors. Colostrum is important for supporting the growth, development, and immunologic defence of neonates. Colostrum is naturally packaged in a combination that helps prevent its destruction and maintain bioactivity until it reaches more distal gut regions and enables synergistic responses between protective and reparative agents present within it. Bovine colostrum been used for hundreds of years as a traditional or complementary therapy for a wide variety of ailments and in veterinary practice. Partly due to concerns about the side effects of standard Western medicines, there is interest in the use of natural-based products of which colostrum is a prime example. Numerous preclinical and clinical studies have demonstrated therapeutic benefits of bovine colostrum for a wide range of indications, including maintenance of wellbeing, treatment of medical conditions and for animal husbandry. Articles within this Special Issue of Nutrients cover the effects and use bovine colostrum and in this introductory article, we describe the main constituents, quality control and an overview of the use of bovine colostrum in health and disease.

Keywords: growth factors; gut repair; injury; nutraceuticals.

Figure 1

Molecular weight distribution for select components of Bovine colostrum (BC).

Figure 2

Influence of BC on immune function. (A) BC modulates immune response. BC reduced proliferation (BRDU incorporation) of human lymphocytes (n = 5 healthy subjects) stimulated by phytohemagglutination (PHA). PHA increased proliferation two-fold but was markedly truncated by BC (1 mg/mL). ** indicates p < 0.01 versus comparator. Data were kindly provided by Drs P Lalor and L Sheriff, University of Birmingham. (B) Multiple constituents of BC are involved in modulating the immune system and targeting microbes and other threats.

Figure 3

Change in IgG and some growth factor constituents within BC during the first few days post-calving. BC was collected at the first and second milking on day 0, and daily for the following 3 days from 6 cows post-calving, i.e., Day 0-1 and 0-2 samples were both collected on the first day after calving. Samples were analysed for IgG and growth factor concentrations using commercial ELISA kits. Immunoreactivity is expressed as % of Day 0-1 sample. EGF (▲), IGF1 (□) and IgG (○). Results are expressed as mean ± SEM of 6 animals per time point, with each sample measured in triplicate. The concentrations of all constituents shown were significantly reduced in each subsequent collection, p < 0.01 vs. their Day 0-1 value. Adapted from [83].

Figure 4

Effect of BC on cell migration. Human colonic Caco-2 cells were grown as a continuous monolayer and a standardised wound produced at time 0. The amount of closure of wound was assessed 24 h later. The presence of BC significantly increased the rate of closure compared to cells grown in serum free medium (SFM, negative control) alone.