BIOACTIVE FACTORS IN BOVINE COLOSTRAL WHEY: Immune Factors and Growth Factors. Ewan Ha, Functional Ingredients Research, Inc. Presented at the UKC2003, Aug. 7-9, 2003. California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA. Bovine colostrum, nature's first and complete food for the newborn mammals, is rich in essential nutrients, immune factors and growth factors. Studies showed that colostral whey and its components have potent antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, antiallergenic, and antioxidant activities to help protect the body of newborn mammals from invading pathogens. The most important activity of the colostral whey is the activation and regulation of the immune system, which are not only important for newborns but also for adults with over- and under-active immune systems. Proline-rich polypeptide (PRP) helps to regulate the thymus gland. PRP can both stimulate a weakened immune system and/or down-regulate an overactive immune system, as in the case of many autoimmune diseases. Whey protein is an abundant source of glutamylcysteine, which has been shown to increase intracellular glutathione (GSH) concentration. Growth factors activate a number of growth and repair processes in the body that are important for proper development, maintenance and healing in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, skeletal muscle, and bone structure. Studies show that bovine colostral whey could prevent and repair the damage to the gastrointestinal tract caused by use of antibiotics and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) including aspirin and ibuprofen. Colostral whey exerts their biological activities when orally administered. However, certain colostral whey components responsible for the biological activities are very susceptible to heat treatment and extreme care must be taken during processing.
IGF-I, IgA, and IgG responses to bovine colostrum supplementation during training. J Appl Physiol 2002 Aug;93(2):732-9. Mero A, Kahkonen J, Nykanen T, Parviainen T, Jokinen I, Takala T, Nikula T, Rasi S, Leppaluoto J. This study concluded that a long-term supplementation of bovine colostrum increases serum IGF-I and saliva IgA concentration in athletes during training. Absorption data show that ingested 123I-rhIGF-I is fragmented in circulation and that no radioactive IGF-I is eluted at the positions of free, or the IGF, binding proteins, giving no support to the absorption of IGF-I from bovine colostrum. read
Characterization of the anti-HIV effects of native lactoferrin and other milk proteins and protein-derived peptides. Antiviral Res 2002 Aug;55(2):341-55 Berkhout B, van Wamel JL, Beljaars L, Meijer DK, Visser S, Floris R. read,
In a search for natural proteins with anti-HIV activity, we screened a large set of purified proteins from bovine milk and peptide fragments thereof. Because several charged proteins and peptides are known to inhibit the process of virus entry, we selected proteins with an unusual charge composition or hydrophobicity profile. In contrast with some chemically modified (strongly negative) milk proteins, unmodified alpha(s2)-, beta- and kappa-casein, as well as several negatively and positively charged fragments thereof, did not show significant inhibition of virus replication. In fact, HIV-1 replication was elevated in the presence of beta-casein or amphiphilic fragments thereof. Bovine lactoferrin (bLF), a milk protein of 80 kDa, showed considerable inhibitory activity against HIV-1 with an IC50 of 0.4 microM. Modest inhibition was obtained with lactoferricin, a highly positively charged loop domain of bLF, indicating that other domains within the native bLF protein may also be required for inhibition. bLF blocked HIV-1 variants that use either the CXCR4 or the CCR5 coreceptor. In order to obtain further insight into the mechanism of action of this antiviral protein, we selected a bLF-resistant HIV-1 variant. The bLF-resistance phenotype is mediated by the viral envelope protein, which contains two interesting mutations that have previously been associated with an altered virus-host interaction and a modified receptor-coreceptor interaction. These results demonstrate that bLF targets the HIV-1 entry process.
Bovine colostrum proteins are used as antimicrobial agents for oral health care products. Oral Dis 2002 Jan;8(1):23-9. The clinical efficacy and safety of this kind of preventive approach against various oral diseases and symptoms has been reviewed. read.
Oligosaccharides and glycoconjugates in bovine milk and colostrum. Gopal P.K. and Gill H.S. 2000. Br. J. Nutr. 2000 Nov.84; suppl 1:S69-74. Oligosaccharides and glycoconjugates provide protection against pathogens by acting as competitive inhibitors for the binding sites on the epithelial surfaces of the intestine. read
Bovine colostrum inhibits the binding of Helicobacter pylori to lipid receptor. Bitzan MM, Gold BD, Philpott DJ, Huesca M, Sherman PM, Karch H, Lissner R, Lingwood CA, Karmali MA. J Infect Dis. 1998 Apr;177(4):955-61. Bitzan et al (1998) reported that bovine colostrum concentrate blocked attachment of H. pylori to Gg4, Gg3, and PE. Partial inhibition of binding was observed with native bovine and human colostra. BCC lacked detectable antibodies (by immunoblotting) to H. pylori surface proteins (adhesins). However, colostral lipid extracts contained PE and lyso-PE that bound H. pylori in vitro. These results indicate that colostrum can block the binding of Helicobacter species to select lipids and that binding inhibition is conferred, in part, by colostral PE or PE derivatives. Colostral lipids may modulate the interaction of H. pylori and other adhesin-expressing pathogens with their target tissues. read
Neonatal dietary gangliosides. Early Hum Dev 1998 Dec;53 Suppl:S135-47 Rueda R, Maldonado J, Narbona E, Gil A. read
Gangliosides are glycosphingolipids that are widely distributed in vertebrate tissues and body fluids and which are specially abundant in neural tissues. Milk from different species has a particular ganglioside content and profile. Human milk has a higher content of gangliosides than bovine milk. GD3 and GM3 are the predominant individual gangliosides in bovine milk. In human colostrum GD3 is also the main ganglioside whereas in human mature milk GM3 predominates over the other gangliosides. Human milk also contains GM1 and a number of highly polar gangliosides, which may play an important role in infant physiology. GM1 has been shown to inhibit Escherichia coli and Vibrio cholerae enterotoxins. We have found that a ganglioside-supplemented infant formula modifies the intestinal ecology of preterm newborns, increasing the Bifidobacteria content and lowering that of Escherichia coli. Although the exact mechanism by which dietary gangliosides reduce the fecal content of Escherichia coli is unknown, in vitro experiments suggest that they may act as false intestinal receptors for some strains of this bacteria. Since GD3 and other gangliosides have been involved in mechanisms of lymphocyte activation and differentiation, dietary gangliosides might have a function in intestinal immunity development.
Effects of bovine colostrum supplementation on serum IGF-I, IgG, hormone, and saliva IgA during training.J Appl Physiol 1997 Oct 83:1144-51. read
Inhibition with lactoferrin of in vitro infection with human herpes virus. Jpn J Med Sci Biol 1994 Apr;47(2):73-85 Hasegawa K, Motsuchi W, Tanaka S, Dosako S. read
